Sign and encrypt your personal email — no identity verification required
Basic S/MIME gives you cryptographic email signing and end-to-end encryption tied to your email address alone. No name validation, no business documentation — just private, tamper-evident email for anyone who takes their communications seriously.
Email signing and encryption — for your address
Basic S/MIME is the entry-level certificate in SSL.com’s S/MIME range. It validates that a certificate is bound to a specific email address — without requiring any additional identifying information about the person behind it. It enables two core capabilities:
Digital signing — attaches a tamper-evident signature to every outgoing email, so recipients can verify the message came from your address and hasn’t been modified since you sent it.
Encryption — encrypts email content end-to-end so only the intended recipient can read it, even if intercepted in transit.
Basic S/MIME is the right choice when privacy and message integrity matter, but publishing your personal name or organizational identity in the certificate is not required or desired.
Why people use Basic S/MIME
Basic S/MIME is the right choice when…
- ✓ You need to sign and encrypt personal email without disclosing your name or employer
- ✓ You want to secure email for a generic or shared address where individual identity is not relevant
- ✓ You are evaluating S/MIME before stepping up to a higher validation level
- ✓ You need a low-friction, fast-issuance certificate with no documentation overhead
Configure & Buy Basic S/MIME
Select Certificate Duration
From purchase to signed & encrypted email — 4 steps
Works with the email clients you already use
| Email client | Signing | Encryption | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Outlook | ✓ | ✓ | Native S/MIME support — no plugin required |
| Apple Mail | ✓ | ✓ | Native support on macOS and iOS |
| Mozilla Thunderbird | ✓ | ✓ | Native support |
| Google Workspace Gmail | ✓ | ✓ | Requires Google Workspace Business or Enterprise plan |
| Outlook on the Web | ✓ | ✓ | Supported in Microsoft 365 environments |
Issued by an audited, compliant CA
CA/B Forum S/MIME Baseline Requirements
Basic S/MIME issued under the CA/B Forum S/MIME BR — the global standard for S/MIME certificate issuance
WebTrust for S/MIME BR (BDO)
SSL.com is audited annually by BDO under the WebTrust for S/MIME Baseline Requirements program
RFC 5750 / S/MIME v3.2
Certificates conform to the S/MIME standard for secure email
Frequently asked questions
Ready to sign and encrypt your email?
Also in Email Security
IV S/MIME — Individual Validated
Professionals wanting their verified name in the signature
OV S/MIME — Organization Validated
Organizations securing functional addresses (support@, billing@)
Sponsor S/MIME — IV + OV
Executives and key personnel — maximum trust
