a system , method , and computer program product for providing a encrypted email reader and responder is described . the method of distributing and initializing an encrypted electronic mail software application for exchanging secure email , can include : obtaining by a first user a license for an email client software application program having public / private encryption ; requesting by the first user that a second user download a reader / responder software application program in order to exchange encrypted email between the first user and the second user ; downloading and installing the reader / responder software application program by the second user ; sending an email by the second user to the first user including embedding an unencrypted public key by using a send key function of the reader / responder software application program ; receiving the email from the second user by the first user , wherein the unencrypted public key is embedded in the email ; responding by the first user by sending a second email to the first user , where the reader / responder software application program encrypts a message of the second email into an encrypted message using the unencrypted public key of the second user ; receiving the second email by the second user with the encrypted message as an attachment from the first user into a third party email software application program , wherein the third party email software application program is different from the reader / responder software application program and the email client software application program ; and opening by the second user the attachment to execute the reader / responder software application program operative to allow a user without the email client software to read and respond to encrypted email created and sent from a user having the email client software .