RFC 2311 (rfc2311) - Page 1 of 37


S/MIME Version 2 Message Specification



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                                          S. Dusse
Request for Comments: 2311                            RSA Data Security
Category: Informational                                      P. Hoffman
                                               Internet Mail Consortium
                                                            B. Ramsdell
                                                              Worldtalk
                                                           L. Lundblade
                                                               Qualcomm
                                                               L. Repka
                                                               Netscape
                                                             March 1998


                 S/MIME Version 2 Message Specification

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998).  All Rights Reserved.

1. Introduction

   S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) provides a
   consistent way to send and receive secure MIME data. Based on the
   popular Internet MIME standard, S/MIME provides the following
   cryptographic security services for electronic messaging
   applications: authentication, message integrity and non-repudiation
   of origin (using digital signatures) and privacy and data security
   (using encryption).

   S/MIME can be used by traditional mail user agents (MUAs) to add
   cryptographic security services to mail that is sent, and to
   interpret cryptographic security services in mail that is received.
   However, S/MIME is not restricted to mail; it can be used with any
   transport mechanism that transports MIME data, such as HTTP. As such,
   S/MIME takes advantage of the object-based features of MIME and
   allows secure messages to be exchanged in mixed-transport systems.

   Further, S/MIME can be used in automated message transfer agents that
   use cryptographic security services that do not require any human
   intervention, such as the signing of software-generated documents and
   the encryption of FAX messages sent over the Internet.




Dusse, et. al.               Informational