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There will be a new intermediate certificate (ICA) for S/MIME products, effective for the CA DigiCert from 2526.0706.2024 and for GlobalSign from 24.06.2024. A new intermediate certificate for Sectigo S/MIME products was already introduced in 2023 as part of the new S/MIME baseline requirements. |
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In order to standardize the issuing and administration of S/MIME certificates, the CA/B Forum had defined new requirements, taking effect at the beginning of September 2023.
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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 pre-encrypted 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
No CSR is required when ordering.
Note for PersonalSign Class 2 Pro and PersonalSign Class 2 Department:
→ Certificates issued BEFORE August 16, 2023 can no longer be renewed. These must be reordered according to the new requirements (CREATE)
→ A reissue is generally no longer possible
→ An identifier is required when ordering. If this identifier is not available, then the identification as a government (authority)
or international company. The unique identifier can be: Value Added Tax (VAT), National Trade Registry (NTR) or Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) number.
| Certificate Name | Digital ID for Use | Type | Profile | Digital ID proves Right of Ownership | Verification (Vetting) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PersonalSign Class 1 | For general or personal use | Mailbox-validated | Legacy | Email address | By email |
| EOL announced by supplier for August 2023. | -- | -- | -- | In order to continue signing and encrypting emails digitally, other equally secure S/MIME certificates for your personal use are available in our portfolio. |
PersonalSign Class 2 | For a person who represents a company. The company must be located within the EMEA region. If you have any questions, please contact support. | Sponsor-validated | Legacy | Email address | Execution in two steps (please in this order): 1.) Person: video call with GlobalSign Vetting Team → Via a call to the personnel department with a number from the phone book → Company Register is checked |
PersonalSign Class 2 Department | For a department | Organization-validated | Legacy | Email address Assurance of the existence of the organization | By email Company Register is checked |
DigiCert
CSR is required when ordering.
| Certificate Name | Digital ID for Use | Type | Profile | Digital ID proves Right of Ownership | Verification (Vetting) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S/MIME Class 1 | For general or personal use | Mailbox-validated | Legacy | Email address | By email Note that the link in the email is only valid for a maximum of 24h. To resend the email, please contact your support. |
| S/MIME Premium (Class 2) | For a person who represents a company | Sponsor-validated | Legacy | Email address | By email. Via a call to the personnel department with a number from the phone book Company Register is checked |
| Digital Signature Plus | For a person who represents a company | Sponsor-validated | Legacy | Email address Identity assurance of the person Assurance of the existence of the organization | By email. Via a call to the personnel department with a number from the phone book Company Register is checked |
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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. |
Sectigo
CSR is required when ordering.
| Certificate Name | Digital ID for Use | Type | Profile | Digital ID proves Right of Ownership | Verification (Vetting) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sectigo - Personal S/MIME | For general or personal use | Mailbox-validated | Multipurpose | Email address | By email Note that the link in the email is only valid for a maximum of 24h. |
| EOL announced by supplier for August 2023. | -- | -- | -- | In order to continue signing and encrypting emails digitally, other equally secure S/MIME certificates for your personal use are available in our portfolio. | |
| Sectigo - Enterprise S/MIME | For a person who represents an entire company | Organization-validated | Multipurpose | Email address Identity assurance of the person Assurance of the existence of the organization | By email |
More detailed information on the individual certificates can be found in our knowledge base.
Overview
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