Plaintext on the destination server
After delivery, message content sits in plaintext - readable by anyone with server access. Transport protection ends where the email arrives.
Your digital sovereignty. Made safe.
S/MIME encryption - your data cargo, sealed until it reaches port.
SPF, DKIM, and TLS protect the transport path - but not the message content after delivery. S/MIME closes that gap: end-to-end encryption and digital signature, automated and with no effort for users. GDPR-compliant, centrally managed, made in Germany.
Where classic email security stops - and S/MIME begins.
SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and TLS form the foundation - they protect the transport path and make spoofing harder at the domain level. What they don't cover is decisive.
GDPR risk for personal data
Missing content encryption for personal data violates GDPR requirements and can lead to fines.
Invisible manipulation
Manipulated message content can't be proven without a digital signature. Missing content-level integrity is an underestimated risk.
Liability risk for executives
Missing S/MIME encryption at the server level isn't just a technical oversight - it's a concrete liability risk toward customers and regulators. A single attack can permanently damage your company's reputation.
S/MIME email encryption: the standard for secure business communication.
S/MIME protects on multiple levels
- End-to-end encryption
- Digital signature & sender verification
- Content protection beyond delivery
- Central certificate management
- Compatible with standard mail clients
- GDPR & GoBD compliant
S/MIME encryption: what it concretely means for your company
S/MIME protects your emails through genuine end-to-end encryption and digital signatures. Only the intended recipient can read content - the sender's identity is unambiguously verified.
End-to-end by standard - encryption at the content level
With S/MIME, emails are fully encrypted - from sender to recipient, protected both in transit and at receipt. As an established industry standard, S/MIME ensures interoperable communication across system and company boundaries.
Identity through signatures - proof of sender authenticity
Every signed email confirms the authenticity of its origin and further ensures content wasn't manipulated. Companies build provable trust and effectively protect themselves against identity misuse, phishing, and CEO fraud.
Automated & scalable - central control with no effort
The groupios Gateway takes on the entire complexity: certificates are managed centrally, distributed automatically, and continuously monitored. End users have no added effort - nothing to install, configure, or decide.
S/MIME certificate management fully automated - with no IT effort of your own
Central S/MIME certificate management - your benefits at a glance
S/MIME protects your emails through genuine end-to-end encryption and digital signatures. Only the intended recipient can read content - the sender's identity is unambiguously verified.
Central certificate management
All S/MIME certificates are controlled, distributed, and monitored centrally - instead of in individual email clients. This significantly reduces complexity and minimizes sources of error.
Automated security
The gateway decides by rule when emails are encrypted or signed. This guarantees a consistent security level with no manual intervention.
Scalable for growth
New employees, devices, or certificates can be integrated efficiently - with no extra effort on the client side. The solution grows with your organization.
No effort for users
End users don't need to worry about certificates or configuration. The complexity runs in the background - eliminating human sources of error.
Full control for IT teams
IT departments get full transparency over certificate usage and encryption activity. Security policies can be enforced and audited centrally.
Fully GDPR-compliant
S/MIME ensures the confidentiality of personal data, while digital signatures prove integrity and traceability. The gateway makes implementation easier.
S/MIME as a managed service or on-premises
Choose your waters.
S/MIME via groupios is available as a fully managed cloud service or as an on-premises solution in your own infrastructure.
S/MIME encryption: groupios Mare Cloud vs. standard solutions
Developed for organizations where security and compliance are business-critical.
Protection level
groupios Mare Cloud: Your data - content/infrastructure
Standardlösungen: Infrastructure only
Certificate management
groupios Mare Cloud: Centrally automated
Standardlösungen: User-dependent, error-prone
Administrability
groupios Mare Cloud: Central, one dashboard
Standardlösungen: Decentralized, high effort
Data sovereignty
groupios Mare Cloud: Digital sovereignty
Standardlösungen: Dependency on US providers
CLOUD Act risk
groupios Mare Cloud: None! German law
Standardlösungen: Yes (with US providers)
GDPR / GoBD
groupios Mare Cloud: Fully audit-proof
Standardlösungen: Partially covered
Our solution is already used by public authorities and regulated industries - on a made-in-Germany infrastructure for maximum data sovereignty.
S/MIME and GDPR: audit-proof email communication as a requirement
In a time of rising regulatory demands, it's no longer enough to simply archive emails - integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality must be provable at all times.
Provable sender authenticity
Clear proof of who actually sent the email. Evidence that the sender wasn't spoofed. Guarantees compliance with internal security rules.
Guaranteed content integrity
S/MIME-signed emails prove content remained unchanged after sending. Any manipulation would be immediately detectable. The central point for GDPR/GoBD compliance.
Confidentiality through certificates
S/MIME protects content at the message level - independent of the transport path. Content stays protected and encrypted even in the archive. Long-term storage fully secured.
Compliance and evidentiary strength
GDPR, GoBD, and ISO standards. Increased evidentiary weight in court. Technically secured traceability. Trustworthy, verifiable communication.
Anyone who doesn't act today risks real damage with serious consequences tomorrow. Cyberattacks keep increasing - and hit companies more precisely, faster, and with greater impact than ever before. Liability risks are rising. Anyone who doesn't consistently secure their email communication puts not just data, but reputation, business continuity, and personal responsibility at stake.
What decision-makers want to know…
Why isn't transport encryption (TLS) enough?
TLS only protects emails in transit - not on the destination server. After delivery, message content sits in plaintext: readable by anyone with server access. Manipulation of content can’t be proven without a digital signature. For personal data, missing content encryption also violates GDPR requirements. S/MIME closes this gap through end-to-end protection at the content level - independent of the transport path.
Why should I use S/MIME?
Transport encryption protects emails on the way - not on the destination server. Without S/MIME, content sits there in plaintext: readable by anyone with server access, with no provable protection against unnoticed manipulation. S/MIME closes this gap through genuine end-to-end encryption at the content level - regardless of the path the email took.
Isn't managing S/MIME very effortful?
Without a central solution, certificate management quickly becomes a security risk: expired certificates, manual errors, and a lack of overview are practically guaranteed. With the groupios Gateway and the Mare Cloud, you avoid exactly that - through central control, automatic renewal, and full control over all certificates in one dashboard.
Do my employees need to install or configure anything for S/MIME?
No. With groupios, all user interaction is eliminated entirely. The entire security logic runs automatically in the background - reliably and with no human weak points. When users are responsible for security themselves, mistakes inevitably happen. With groupios, that’s ruled out.
Does S/MIME also work with external partners and customers?
Yes. S/MIME works in every standard mail client - with no proprietary additional software on the recipient’s side. As an established industry standard, it enables secure, interoperable communication across company and system boundaries. That’s a genuine differentiator compared to proprietary encryption solutions.
How does S/MIME help me with compliance and GDPR?
Unencrypted emails can quickly lead to data protection violations - with significant legal and financial consequences. S/MIME adds content encryption, integrity, and non-repudiation to your email security - independent of the transport path. With groupios, you implement these requirements centrally and in an audit-proof way - before a risk turns into real damage.
What's the difference between S/MIME in the Mare Cloud and on-premises?
In the Mare Cloud variant, the S/MIME gateway is fully operated by groupios - in a German data center, with no infrastructure of your own. Ideal for companies that want to get started immediately. In the on-premises variant, the groupios Email Security Gateway runs in your own infrastructure - ideal for public authorities, critical infrastructure operators, and organizations with the highest data protection requirements. Both variants offer identical functionality.
Mare Cloud brings all security solutions together in a single platform.
Combine our various building blocks for maximum data sovereignty.
Email Security Gateway
Protection from spam, malware, and ransomware – with automatic S/MIME encryption and central certificate management.
Discover the gatewayEmail Archiving
Audit-proof archiving compliant with GDPR and GoBD – legally compliant long-term storage for all your previously encrypted emails.
View archivingCloud2Cloud Backup
Completely vendor-independent backup, for example of Microsoft 365®, OneDrive®, Teams®, SharePoint®, Gmail®, and Google Drive®.
View backup solutionMulti-Node Backup
Maximum resilience through distributed backup architecture with no central point of failure – ideal for business-critical data, for example.
Discover the backup strategyCast off now!
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