SMIME certificates from respected certificate authorities like Sectigo drastically enhance email security. By utilizing public key cryptography, these email signing certificates enable users to encrypt and digitally sign their email messages, ensuring both confidentiality and trustworthiness. Similarly, it offers end-to-end encryption to protect email communications from various online threats, including phishing, tampering, and man-in-the-middle attacks.
An S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) certificate plays an important role in securing sensitive information, whether for individuals or organizations. SMIME certificate ensures that email messages and attachments are transmitted securely while also authenticating sender identities to prevent corporate impersonation. It boosts user trust and helps organizations comply with strict regulatory standards, making S/MIME certificates essential for both personal use and securing enterprise communications.
A S/MIME certificate, or Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions certificate, is an email signing certificate that enables end-to-end encryption and digital signing of email messages. It’s a protocol that ensures the confidentiality and integrity of emails while allowing recipients to verify the sender’s identity and protect the content from unauthorized access, tampering, or interception during email transmission.
Comodo PAC Basic (SMIME) |
Comodo PAC Enterprise (SMIME) |
Sectigo PAC Enterprise (SMIME) |
|
Price (per year) |
£10.80
|
£36.00
|
£36.00
|
---|---|---|---|
Vendor Price |
£22.00
|
£64.00
|
£64.00
|
Product SKU | S2BSCPACB321 | S2BCPACE322 | S2BSPACE373 |
Certificate Authority | Comodo | Comodo | Sectigo |
Category | SMIME Certificates | SMIME Certificates | SMIME Certificates |
Validation Method | Email Validation | Organization Validation – OV | Organization Validation – OV |
Delivery Time | 15 minutes or less | 1 – 3 Business Days | 1 – 3 Business Days |
Requirements for Verification | Email Validation | Email Validation, Identity Verification, Organization Validation |
Email Validation, Identity Verification, Organization Validation |
Validates | Email address only | email@address.com Person Name Company Name Company Address |
email@address.com Individual Name Company Name Company Address |
Email Encryption | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Email Signing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Vendor Refund Policy | 30 Days | 30 Days | 30 Days |
Technical Support | Free Live Chat and Ticket Support | Free Live Chat and Ticket Support | Free Live Chat and Ticket Support |
To ensure confidentiality, the SMIME certificate requires the sender to first encrypt the message using the recipient’s public key. After receiving the email, the recipient decrypts and accesses the content using their private key. Further, to validate the email’s legitimacy, the sender signs it with their private key, resulting in a digital signature.
Lastly, the recipient or anyone else can verify this signature using the sender’s public key, verifying that the sender sent the email and was not altered with during its transmission.
Nonetheless, let’s understand the working of the SMIME certificate in a step-by-step manner:
Before an encrypted email is sent, the sender requires the recipient’s public key, which is usually shared through an S/MIME certificate.
The sender of an email encrypts the email’s contents using the recipient’s public key to ensure that the communication remains secure during email transport. Similarly, encryption ensures that only the recipient with the associated private key can decrypt and read the message, thereby assuring its confidentiality.
The sender of an email uses their private key to sign the email, which includes a unique digital signature that verifies the email’s authenticity. Similarly, the signature is generated using an email’s content, which verifies that it hasn’t been altered.
Once an email message is encrypted using the recipient’s public key and transmitted, it can only be decrypted using the recipient’s associated private key.
After receiving the email, the recipient decrypts it using their private key. Here, the private key is unique and securely maintained, so only the intended recipient can access and read the email.
The receiver can use the sender’s public key or anyone else to verify the email’s validity. However, this step also certifies that the intended sender sent the email and that the email message wasn’t altered within transit.
It’s an entry-level SMIME certificate where the certificate authority only validates the domain, which can be done through the link sent in an email. Here, the CA sends an email along with a verification link and asks the applicant to click on it. And once the S/MIME certificate and digital signature are installed on an email client, all email communications can be signed digitally and encrypted as well.
It’s the highest validated level of SMIME certificate. Here, the certificate authority verifies the domain, identity, and organization. CA (Certificate Authorities) will require an applicant to submit their legal documents that prove the existence of their business, identity cards issued by the government, and domain verification by clicking a link sent in an email.
Comodo Personal Authentication Certificate enhances email security by adding digital signatures and verifying the sender’s identity. It also enables two-factor authentication with 2048-bit encryption for stronger protection.
Comodo PAC Enterprise provides an easy and affordable way to encrypt email messages. It also offers two-factor authentication and digital signatures to secure company communications and documents.
It secures your business emails by confirming sender identity, blocking spoofing, and preventing costly frauds. Similarly, it helps detect manipulation via a secure hashing mechanism.