S/MIME provides a Communications Express Mail user with these features:
Create a digital signature for an outgoing mail message to assure the message’s recipient that the message was not tampered with and is from the person who sent it
Encrypt an outgoing mail message to prevent anyone from viewing, changing or otherwise using the message’s content before the message arrives in the recipient’s mailbox
Verify the digital signature of an incoming signed message with a process involving a certificate revocation list (CRL)
Automatically decrypt an incoming encrypted message so the recipient can read the message’s contents
Exchange signed or encrypted messages with other users of an S/MIME compliant client such as Communications Express Mail and Mozilla mail systems
To properly administer S/MIME, you need to be familiar with the following concepts:
Basic administrative procedures for your platform
Structure and use of a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) directory
Addition or modification of entries in an LDAP directory
Configuration process for the Sun Java System Directory Server
Concepts and purpose of the following:
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) for a secured communications line
Digitally signed email messages
Encrypted email messages
Local key store of a browser
Smart cards and the software and hardware to use them
Private-public key pairs and their certificates
Certificate authorities (CA)
Verifying keys and their certificates
Certificate revocation list (CRL). (See When is a Certificate Checked Against a CRL?)