Replacing S-MIME Email Encryption with Identity-Based Encryption

S-MIME has traditionally been used to secure email through certificate-based encryption. While functional, it introduces considerable complexity and operational overhead. Certificates must be issued, distributed, stored, renewed, revoked, and validated, all of which create administrative burdens. Users frequently encounter difficulties handling certificates, leading to inconsistent adoption across organisations. Furthermore, S-MIME relies on complex trust hierarchies and external certificate authorities, adding layers of dependency and reducing organisational control.

Another significant limitation of S-MIME is its poor compatibility with external communications. Exchanging certificates between organisations is cumbersome, making secure email impractical for many external recipients. In modern environments where collaboration extends across partners, clients, and suppliers, S-MIME’s rigid structure cannot adequately support fluid, secure communication. Identity-based encryption (IBE) addresses these challenges by eliminating certificate requirements and linking encryption directly to user identities. This simplifies secure email deployment, improves compatibility, and ensures a more user-friendly experience. IBE is better aligned with modern, cloud-enabled, and distributed working environments, providing stronger security without the complexity of certificate lifecycle management.

• Email remains a leading cause of data breaches, contributing significantly to global breach costs (~USD 4.44 million average).
• Many organisations report low S-MIME adoption due to complexity.
• Encryption misconfigurations remain a top cause of email data exposure incidents.

How Galaxkey Solves It

Galaxkey replaces the complexity of S-MIME with a modern identity-based encryption product. Instead of certificates, Galaxkey issues encryption based on verified user identities. This allows users to send encrypted emails effortlessly without exchanging certificates or managing complex trust chains. Users simply select encryption within their normal email workflow, making adoption seamless across the organisation.

Galaxkey validates the identity of each recipient before granting access to encrypted content, enabling secure external communication without prior setup. Because encryption keys are controlled exclusively by the organisation, privacy and confidentiality are fully maintained without reliance on third-party certificate authorities. Additionally, Galaxkey offers advanced capabilities that S-MIME does not. For example: message revocation, expiry, anti-forwarding controls, and zero-knowledge architecture. Emails and attachments are all encrypted, providing granular protection far beyond certificate-based systems. Galaxkey integrates with Outlook, Gmail, and mobile platforms, ensuring strong encryption with minimal user effort. By adopting Galaxkey’s identity-based encryption, organisations gain stronger security, easier deployment, and full control of their encryption infrastructure, overcoming the limitations of S-MIME.