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UpdatedPROPOSED STANDARDIETF stream

RFC 8551: Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) Version 4.0 Message Specification

Still current, but amended. Parts of this document are changed or extended by RFC 9788. Read both.

In plain English — editorial summary, not part of the RFC

This document defines Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) version 4.0. S/MIME provides a consistent way to send and receive secure MIME data. Digital signatures provide authentication, message integrity, and non-repudiation with proof of origin. Encryption provides data confidentiality. Compression can be used to reduce data size. This document obsoletes RFC 5751.

Document record

Document ID
RFC8551
Published
April 2019
Authors
J. Schaad; B. Ramsdell; S. Turner
Status
PROPOSED STANDARD
Stream
IETF
Area
sec
Pages
63
Also known as
—
Obsoletes:
RFC 5751
Updated by:
RFC 9788

Topics

Standards lineage

This document is one revision in a chain of 4 RFCs, each formally replacing the one before it.

  1. RFC 2633 (1999)
  2. RFC 3851 (2004)
  3. RFC 5751 (2010)
  4. RFC 8551 (2019)

Read the full history of Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) Version 4.0 Message Specification →

Referenced by

One later RFC formally updates or obsoletes part of this document.

Related documents

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About this page

The document record above — title, authors, date, status, stream, area, relationships, DOI and errata — is imported verbatim from the public RFC Editor index. The “in plain English” section is editorial: written by The metasystema editorial team, not part of the RFC. Where the two differ, the RFC text governs.

Last checked against the RFC Editor index on . RFCs are never revised after publication; changes are issued as new documents.

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canonical URL: /rfc/8551-secure-multipurpose-internet-mail-extensions-s-mime-version-4-0-message-specific