Changes to GCSX secure emails

The UK government secure email service (GCSX) that many local authorities use is being withdrawn on 29 March 2019.

This was announced in 2016 via a government directive which states:

If you currently use a gsi-family domain name (gsi.gov.uk, gse.gov.uk, gcsx.gov.uk or gsx.gov.uk) you must replace it with a government domain like gov.uk, gov.scot, llyw.cymru or gov.wales by March 2019 using Transport Layer Security (TLS) v1.2 or later.

The government has no plans to replace the service, and public sector organisations have been advised to meet the government’s secure email standards. 

To meet these standards, Birmingham Children's Trust has changed the way it communicates with its partners, other local authorities and government via email, and is accredited to send and receive sensitive and confidential information from other secure organisations, without the need for using GCSX email addresses.

We have therefore now stopped using the GCSX email service and are now using the ‘@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk’ address for all email exchanges.

Any emails sent to an ‘@birmingham.gcsx.gov.uk’ address will not be received.

Further information: 

• Advisory note to public sector partner organisations
• List of partner organisations using the  Transport Layer Security (TLS) for email correspondence 
• Securing Government Email 
• LGA Understanding Secure Email