Secure email, or what is S/MIME?

Every year, more and more companies are opting to use encryption to minimize the risk of leaking data stored in IT systems and sent electronically. More than 50% of companies already say they use it to secure corporate resources, making encryption now one of the most popular methods used by organizations. This trend can also be seen in the area of security for email and the growing interest in S/MIME certificates that are designed for this task.

S/MIME certificates

S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, or universal and secure email extensions) are popular certificates for encrypting and signing mail, often commonly referred to as email ID. Their main task is to sign and encrypt the message in such a way that it is only readable by the sender and the specified recipient.

How does encryption work?

Data encryption is nothing more than the translation of legible text into ciphertext that can be read only by those who have access to the secret key used to secure the text. S/MIME certificates work in the same way. By using asymmetric cryptography, which uses a pair of mathematically related keys – a public key and a private key – it is possible to fully encrypt messages in such a way that only the holder of the matching key can decrypt them. Any other person who accesses them will not be able to read them due to the lack of a matching key. Furthermore, even if encrypted messages are intercepted by a cyber attack, their contents will be unreadable without the proper sender key, which is needed to decrypt the message. This means that only the owner of S/MIME can access sensitive data in emails, and only on a device on which they have a certificate with the appropriate key implemented. Thanks to this feature, they are perfect as an element of infrastructure security in organizations, ensuring confidentiality of communications and security of data transmitted via email.

Trust the cotillion icon

Encryption is not the only functionality of S/MIME certificates. Users from all over the world appreciate them for allowing them to sign each message with a digital signature. With the implementation of S/MIME in the email program, each email will be automatically signed from within the message itself, independent of human error. With the S/MIME signature, the user can distinguish the real identity of the sender from a fake one. Implementing S/MIME certificates across the organization will allow you to instantly verify the origin of any message received from a member of your organization, making your communications more secure.
Additionally, the message will be marked with a ribbon icon in the inbox, by which the user can recognize a signed and trusted message. This will give it extra distinction in the mailbox, encouraging the recipient to open it.

Why is it worth it?

Signing and encrypting messages keeps them from falling into the wrong hands. With an electronic signature, recipients can also verify their origin, which translates into increased trust in the information they receive. Key benefits of using S/MIME certificates:

• Encryption – the encryption feature assures both the recipient and the sender that the message will not be read/decrypted by unauthorized third parties.
• Signing – thanks to the possibility to sign e-mails, the recipients can verify the origin of the e-mail and check the certificate at any time. In addition, the data included in the certificate, such as first and last name, and company name, increases the credibility of the information sent.
• Trust – with the ribbon icon, all signed messages will be highlighted as trusted in your email inbox.

More information available at: https://www.certum.pl/pl/

Anna Sikorska, Product Manager at the Security and Trust Services Division at Asseco Data Systems