Message a colleague securely for the first time

The situation. You need to ask a colleague in another department something confidential. You have never messaged them in Databeamer before.

What you will use. Contacts and a direct message in Chat.

1. Find them #

Open Contacts and choose Add contact. Search Organization members for their name. If they are outside your organisation, search Public Profiles; they must have turned on Public profile to be found.

2. Check it is really them #

When you select a person, Databeamer shows Confirm current identity: their organisation memberships, groups you have in common and how long they have been a member. For a colleague you expect to see your own organisation listed. An Identity verified by Databeamer badge is extra assurance; self-declared labels are not.

If the details do not match what you know, stop and check through another channel.

3. Add a private note #

Under Only for you, add a Nickname, Tags or Notes if that helps you find them later. These are encrypted for you alone.

4. Start the conversation #

From the contact, choose Message. The direct message opens in the floating Chats window on desktop, or in the Chats tab on your phone. Type and press Enter.

What your colleague sees #

A new conversation in their Chats with your name and, if they enabled browser notifications, a notification that says who wrote, never what. They see when you are typing and whether you are online.

Sending a file #

Chat has no attachments. Use the contact's Transfer button for files, or Secure Mail for a longer message with attachments. Both go to the same person you just checked.