I have some users who need to exchange encrypted mail with a vendor of ours. This vendor also uses Notes 6.5. We are not connected via VPN the mail goes over the internet. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to set this up. I don’t think cross certifying is the correct way. If it is how do I go about that? Thanks.
Subject: Exchainging encrypted mail with another domain over the internet
If I may be allowed to share some insight into your posting.
Both the sender [you] and the recipient [vendor] use Notes Domino is irrespective. Fact is, your users are using MIME to compose the outbound message. That’s the start of the desired mail encryption process.
Option #1 is preferred as it is a native Notes Domino function. Simply cross-certify the existing Domino domains, then share the appropriate public keys and start sending/receiving signed and/or encrypted mail.
Option #2 is to obtain an Internet certificate and import it into your Notes user.id file and/or browser.
You can create you own Internet certificates by use of the Domino Certificate Authority, or, you can buy them through a known and reputable 3rd party Certificate Authority such as Verisign.
If you have a small number of users that need to send/receive encrypted Internet mail [aka S/MIME], then a very quick and fairly inexpensive method to do this is buy an Internet certificate via the 3rd party’s Web site. This is commonly called a “digital ID” or sometimes, a “retail certificate”. This process takes all of about 5 minutes time, a credit card as the individual Internet certificate usually cost $20.00 each, and it’s good for one year, per user.
Also, you can also acquire a quantity of Internet certificates from the 3rd party provider at less than the individual certificate cost mentioned above.
If you have a large number of users that need or want to use S/MIME, then you’ll have to evaluate the cost impact of acquiring 3rd party certificates or, taking the time and effort to setup and configure the Domino Certificate Authority.
Upon acquiring a valid Internet certificate, you can also import it into your browser for use with S/MIME in Domino Web Access [DWA] and also SSL communications.
In any case, if you and your users want to use encrypted mail, you are going to have to fulfill one of the above options in order to start using S/MIME.
I hope this brought further clarification and light to the subject for you.
Good luck in your encrypted mail efforts.