the disclosure of the current invention describes a method of handling a message or a document to be released external of a secure computer environment . the message or the document is first directed to a trusted sealing device which displays the message or the document to a human user for visual checking . if the message or document is acceptable to the human user , the method associates the message or the document with a seal produced by the trusted sealing device . the message or the document is then directed along with the associated seal to a gateway which deletes portions of the header and checks the validity of the associated seal . if , as a result of this verification , it is determined that the associated seal is validly associated with the message or the document , the method attaches predetermined header portions to the message or document and communicates the message or the document from the secure computer environment .