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Why S/MIME?
The S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) technology secures your email correspondence through encryption and signing.
The asymmetrical encryption protects S/MIME emails against unwanted access, i.e. the reading and modification of the email content by third parties. The digital signature confirms the authorship of the email and notifies the recipient of any unauthorized changes, making it an effective means of detecting phishing emails.
S/MIME certificates are cost-effective because an unlimited number of emails and documents can be sent preencrypted and signed within an email address. They are easy to integrate and use.
Mode of Operation
Digital certificates digitally bind a cryptographic key to a user's identity, providing proof of the origin and integrity of the transmitted message. Once the certificate is installed, the user can easily sign or encrypt selected emails with one click, or automatically sign and encrypt all emails with the digital certificate via the corresponding configuration.
S/MIME is supported by most mail clients (e.g. Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Lotus Notes and Mulberry Mail).
Overview of the available S/MIME Certificates
The S/MIME certificates are issued via a digital ID for persons and departments of a company.
GlobalSign
Certificate Name | Digital ID for Use | Level of Trust 1=high, 3=highest | Digital ID proves Right of Ownership | Authentication |
---|---|---|---|---|
Personal Sign 1 | For general use | 1 | Email address | By email |
Personal Sign 2 | Represents your own person | 2 | Email address Identity assurance of the person | By email Copy of the personal identification card |
Personal Sign 2 Pro | For a person who represents an entire company | 3 | Email address | Via a call to the personnel department with a number from the phone book Company Register is checked |
Personal Sign 2 Department | For a department | 2 | Email address Assurance of the existence of the organization | By email Company Register is checked |
DigiCert
Certificate Name | Digital ID for Use | Level of Trust 1=high, 3=highest | Digital ID proves Right of Ownership | Authentication |
---|---|---|---|---|
S/MIME Class 1 | For general use | 1 | Email address | By email |
S/MIME Premium (Class 2) | For a person who represents an entire company | 2 | Email address | Via a call to the personnel department with a number from the phone book Company Register is checked |
Digital Signature Plus | For general use | 1 | Email address | By email |
Digital Signature Plus
With the Digital Signature Plus certificate, it is possible to digitally sign documents using e. g. Microsoft Office (without Access), Adobe PDF, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, etc.
However, the following applies to Adobe PDF: It is possible to digitally sign documents, but these are not fully trusted, as the Digital Signature Plus is not listed in Adobe's Authorised Trust List (AATL).
For this use case, we offer the GlobalSign - Document Signing certificate.
Sectigo
Certificate Name | Digital ID for Use | Level of Trust 1=high, 3=highest | Digital ID proves Right of Ownership | Authentication |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sectigo - Personal S/MIME | For general use | 1 | Email address | By email |
Sectigo - Pro S/MIME | For a person who represents an entire company | 2 | Email address | By email Via a call to the personnel department with a number from the phone book Company Register is checked |
Sectigo - Enterprise S/MIME | For a person who represents an entire company | 3 | Email address Identity assurance of the person Assurance of the existence of the organization | By email Copy of the personal identification card Verification image of the person with ID card in hand |
More detailed information on the individual certificates can be found in our knowledge base.