The strongest defense against email impersonation — for the people who need it most

Sponsor S/MIME validates both who you are and who you work for — embedding your verified personal name and your organization’s name into every digital signature. The maximum trust level for executives, senior management, and key personnel whose communications are the highest-value targets for impersonation attacks.

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Individual identity + organizational affiliation — verified and signed into every email

Sponsor S/MIME (formerly known as IV + OV S/MIME) is the highest validation level in SSL.com’s S/MIME range. It combines individual identity validation (IV) with organization validation (OV) — embedding both your verified personal name and your organization’s verified name into every digital signature.

This dual validation makes Sponsor S/MIME uniquely powerful against sophisticated impersonation attacks. A CEO fraud attempt or business email compromise attack that targets an executive’s email can be immediately identified as fraudulent by recipients who verify the digital signature — because the genuine article will carry both the individual’s name and the organization’s name, both verified by SSL.com.

The “Sponsor” designation reflects the nature of the certificate: the organization sponsors the issuance of a certificate for a named individual, validating their identity and their affiliation in a single credential.

Why executives and key personnel use Sponsor S/MIME

Maximum trust — individual + organization

Both your verified personal name and your verified organization name appear in every digital signature

Strongest defense against CEO fraud

Business email compromise attacks targeting executives are immediately detectable — genuine emails carry a dual-validated certificate

Prevents internal and external tampering

Any modification to an email after sending breaks the cryptographic signature — both inside and outside your organization

Ideal for high-stakes communications

Board communications, executive correspondence, contract negotiations, M&A communications — where identity matters most

End-to-end encryption

Email content encrypted before leaving your device — only the intended recipient can decrypt and read it

Sponsor S/MIME is the right choice for…

  • ✓ C-suite executives — CEO, CFO, COO, CTO, CISO — whose email identity is the highest-value impersonation target
  • ✓ Senior and middle management — department heads, directors, VPs — whose approval emails trigger significant actions
  • ✓ Key personnel — anyone whose email communications carry authority and whose identity spoofing could cause financial or reputational harm
  • ✓ Board members and trustees communicating on organizational business
  • ✓ Legal and compliance officers signing binding communications
  • ✓ Regulated industry professionals in financial services, healthcare, or legal sectors where dual identity validation meets compliance requirements
Is the address a functional mailbox rather than a named person? If so, OV S/MIME covers organizational addresses (support@, billing@, hr@) without requiring individual identity validation.

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Select Certificate Duration

Order Summary

ProductSponsor S/MIME
Term2 years
Rate$116.00/yr
Savings—
Signing methodeSigner Cloud Signing
Signing subscription$15.00/mo
ValidationStandard
Validation feeIncluded
Total $1,464.00
+ eSigner Cloud Signing - Tier 1 Subscription - $15.00/mo

From purchase to dual-validated email — 5 steps

1
Purchase
Select your Sponsor S/MIME duration and complete your order.
2
Individual validation
SSL.com validates the certificate holder’s first and last name using government-issued ID documentation.
3
Organization validation
SSL.com validates the sponsoring organization’s legal name and confirms the individual’s affiliation. Typically 1–3 business days total.
4
Certificate issued
Your certificate — with both your verified name and your organization’s name — is generated and delivered.
5
Sign & encrypt
Your email client signs every outgoing message with your verified dual identity.

Works with the email clients you already use

Email clientSigningEncryptionNotes
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

Sponsor 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

Dual identity validation

Both individual name (government-issued ID) and organizational affiliation (business registration) verified prior to issuance

Frequently asked questions

Two sets of documentation are required: a government-issued photo ID for the individual (passport, national identity card, or driver’s licence), and business registration documentation for the sponsoring organization (certificate of incorporation or equivalent). Both must be submitted before the certificate is issued.
The organization “sponsors” the certificate — meaning the organization validates the individual’s affiliation and takes responsibility for the certificate issuance on their behalf. This dual validation is what gives the certificate its maximum trust level.
Sponsor S/MIME typically takes 1–3 business days, as both individual and organizational documentation must be reviewed and verified.
IV S/MIME validates only your personal identity. Sponsor S/MIME validates both your personal identity and your organization’s name — making it the right choice for communications that need to convey both who you are and who you represent.
OV S/MIME validates only the organization’s name — ideal for functional addresses not tied to a specific person. Sponsor S/MIME validates both a named individual and the organization they represent — essential when a person’s identity and their organizational affiliation both matter.
Yes — a Sponsor S/MIME can be issued for an individual affiliated with but not directly employed by an organization, provided the organization validates and sponsors the issuance. Contact our team for guidance on third-party and contractor scenarios.
Sponsor S/MIME provides strong cryptographic defense against impersonation of the specific email address it covers. It should be used alongside DMARC (for domain-level protection), email gateway security, and security awareness training for comprehensive BEC protection.

Ready to protect your highest-value communications?

Sponsor S/MIME — dual identity validation for executives and key personnel. Maximum trust in every email.
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Also in Email Security

Basic S/MIME

Personal email privacy — no name validation needed

Learn more

IV S/MIME — Individual Validated

Professionals wanting their verified name in the signature

Learn more

OV S/MIME — Organization Validated

Organizational functional addresses — support@, billing@, admin@

Learn more

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