E-mails security: what are your options?

The confidentiality of your digit exchanges has become a strategic need. Getting protected from your competitors' or hackers' curiosity is a necessity and several option can be explored.

The client certificate

The client certificate protects an e-mail address. It guarantees the authentication of its owner and the integrity of transiting data. It has to be installed on the user's email software (Outlook, Thunderbird, Mail, Lotus...).

In a nutshell, a client certificate guarantees the the e-mail received is actually the one that has been sent. It displays the sender identity and encrypts data that, if it is intercepted, cannot be read.

The plus: a client certificate gives your e-mails a real legal value. Some of them can also be use for strong authentication or to sign PDFs.

See our client certificates range of products

The server certificate

As suggested by its name, the server certificate is installed on your e-mail server to secure the SMTP, POP and IMAP flows.

It is then easy to quickly encrypt each e-mail transiting on the server and to prevent your e-mail flow eavesdrop.

This kind of certificate secures the flow, not a particular message or e-mail.

What's the difference?

A client certificate secures a defined e-mail address. Each e-mail is encrypted / signed individually by the sender.

A server certificate secures the flow. Migrate your POP and IMAP users on a secured mode to protect them from eavesdrop on WIFI networks and to protect passwords. With a SMTP certificate any e-mail from or to a compatible server is automatically encrypted and therefore cannot be read for PRISM.

Our advises

Your e-mail flow holds 90% of your company's strategic data ; it needs to be secured. To do so, install a server certificate for SMTPS, POPS, and IMAPS protocols and close POP and IMAP ports. In on operation your flow is protected from eavesdrop.

For key members of your organization, get a client certifcate to guarantee a full chain of confidentiality.