Re: [PLUG] What's smime.p7s? (Was: Ginger)

[Leonard Rosenthol <leonardr@lazerware.com>]

At 02:21 PM 12/3/2001 -0500, kevin mudrick wrote:
> S/MIME is an SSL-based MIME extension,

        It's not actually related to SSL, though they use similar 
cryptography.  It's a standard (IETF) for sending signed and encrypted email.


>  developed by (I think) RSA Data Security.

        RSA was one of the big backers of S/MIME since it was originally 
based on their public key algorithms and architectures, though it can be 
used for ANY type of PKI.


> It attempts to do the same sort of stuff as PGP - allowing for
> encrypting/decrypting and signing of emails.

        Actually, S/MIME just specified how such things go into email 
messages.  The details of the cryptography and keys are separate.

        HOWEVER, most S/MIME implementations are based around the X.509 
standard for public keys since PGP uses a separate standard called OpenPGP 
(I believe) for putting it's data into email messages.


>  pkcs #7 is the data format.

        For keys in X.509, correct.  There are a bunch of other PKCS 
(Public Key Crypto Systems) standards.



LDR


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