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Security Fundamentals & Crypto · Intermediate

Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME)

Standard for signing and encrypting email using X.509 certificates.

Definition

S/MIME provides end-to-end email confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation. Senders sign with their private key and encrypt with recipients' public keys. It is built into Outlook, Apple Mail, and many enterprise clients and requires PKI for user certificates.

Example

A lawyer sends a signed and encrypted S/MIME email to a client who has published their certificate.

Exam tip

S/MIME uses CA-issued certificates; PGP uses a web of trust.

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