Digital, electronic e-mail signatures and the encryption of e-mails can be used to increase security in the e-mail sector.

To be able to use these, a digital user certificate is required. During the creation process, a digital key pair is generated which is confirmed by a certification authority. This key pair consists of 2 parts, the private and the public key:

• Private key: This is password protected and always remains in the possession of the user.
• Public key: This is required by the communication partner and must be made known to them in some way.

Principle: You use your private key to sign your e-mail. The communication partner can then use your public key to check whether / that data is unchanged.

Principle: You encrypt your e-mail with the help of the communication partner's public key. The communication partner can then decrypt the e-mail using his private key. You must therefore first have the communication partner's public key for encryption.

A basic prerequisite for use is the correct integration of the certification authorities in the operating system you are using and a valid digital user certificate. Then configure the appropriate application software: