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MIME RFC #s 2045-2049
S/MIME RFC # draft-dusse-smime-msg-00.txt
S/MIME uses a hybrid approach to providing security, often referred to as a 'digital envelope.' The bulk message encryption is done with a symmetric cipher, and a public-key algorithm is used for key exchange. A public-key algorithm is also used for digital signatures.
S/MIME recommends three symmetric encryption algorithms: DES, Triple-DES, and RC2. The adjustable keysize of the RC2 algorithm makes it especially useful for applications intended for export outside the U.S. RSA is the required public-key algorithm.
S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions), described in[SMIME-MSG], provides a standard way to send and receive secure MIME messages. In order to validate the keys of a message sent to it, an S/MIME agent needs to certify that the key is valid. This draftdescribes the mechanisms S/MIME uses to create and validate keys using certificates.