SMIMEcertificaten
SMIMEcertificaten, also known as S/MIME certificates, are digital certificates used to sign and encrypt email messages according to the S/MIME standard. They bind a sender's or organization's identity to a public key, providing authentication, data integrity, non-repudiation, and confidentiality.
Typically issued by a trusted Certification Authority after identity verification; based on X.509 v3; include subject,
Use: signing ensures authenticity; encryption ensures confidentiality; recipients must have the corresponding certificate; mail clients use
PKI and revocation: relies on CA hierarchy; revocation via CRLs or OCSP; certificates expire and require renewal;
Interoperability and comparison: S/MIME is widely supported (Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird); contrasts with PGP, which uses
Regulatory and deployment notes: in some jurisdictions, qualified S/MIME certificates under eIDAS carry higher legal status;
Challenges: certificate management, key loss, interoperability pitfalls, user education.