Develop A Secure Email Archiving Solution That Use

Develop a secure email archiving solution that uses S/MIME to encrypt emails
stored in the archive.
1. Overview of Requirements
 Archiving: Secure storage of emails for compliance and retrieval purposes.

 Encryption: Use S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) to
ensure data confidentiality.
 Access Control: Implement strict access policies for encrypted data.
 Compliance: Ensure adherence to regulatory and legal requirements for email
storage and encryption.
 Scalability: Plan for expanding archive needs.
2. Solution Architecture
Email Ingestion Pipeline:
o Capture emails as they are sent or received.

o Integrate with existing email systems (like Microsoft Exchange,
Google Workspace, or others) to retrieve messages for archiving.
Encryption with S/MIME:
o Ensure each user has an S/MIME certificate.

o Encrypt each email using the recipient’s public key before storing it in
the archive. This ensures that only the user with the private key can
decrypt and access the email content.
o Consider key management procedures, such as using a secure PKI
(Public Key Infrastructure) to manage and distribute S/MIME
certificates for all users.
Metadata Extraction and Indexing:
o For effective search, extract metadata (subject, sender, recipient, date)

before encryption.
o Store metadata separately in a secure database, allowing search and
retrieval without compromising the encrypted content.
Access Management and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):
o Limit access to the archived emails based on roles and permissions.

o Implement multifactor authentication for users accessing the archive.
o Set up audit logs to monitor who accessed or decrypted archived
emails.
Data Integrity and Backup:

o Regularly back up the encrypted emails and metadata in secure,
redundant storage.
o Use hashing to validate data integrity over time.
Compliance and Logging:
o Maintain a log of email access, retrieval, and any changes to archived

data.
o Include mechanisms to export archived emails for compliance
purposes, with decryption by authorized personnel when required.
3. Implementation Steps
Setup S/MIME Certificates:
o Distribute S/MIME certificates to users and ensure email systems are

configured to support S/MIME for all messages.
o Configure an internal PKI or work with a trusted Certificate Authority
(CA) to issue certificates.
Capture and Encrypt Emails:
o Develop scripts or use an email gateway to capture all inbound and

outbound emails.
o Encrypt each email’s content with S/MIME before sending it to the
archive.
Archive Storage:
o Store encrypted emails in a secure repository (e.g., an encrypted cloud

storage bucket, on-premises encrypted database, or secure file system).
Metadata Extraction and Indexing:
o Index and store metadata separately to allow for quick searches

without decrypting the entire email.
Access and Decryption Process:
o Authorized users can retrieve emails based on metadata search, but

they will need their S/MIME private key to decrypt and read the
content.
o Implement a process for decryption requests, logging, and access
management to ensure compliance.
4. Security Best Practices
 Use strong encryption algorithms and S/MIME configurations (e.g., AES-256).

 Regularly audit PKI and access controls to prevent unauthorized access.
 Rotate encryption keys and update S/MIME certificates according to security
policy.
 Enable logging and auditing to track access and modifications to the archive.
5. Testing and Compliance
 Test the archiving process to ensure that emails are correctly encrypted,
archived, and retrievable.
 Conduct penetration tests on the archiving solution to identify any potential
vulnerabilities.
 Ensure compliance with standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, or other regulatory
frameworks based on organizational needs.
Tools and Technologies
Consider using solutions such as:
 PKI Management Tools: To manage S/MIME certificates (e.g., Microsoft

AD Certificate Services).
 Encrypted Storage Solutions: AWS S3 with server-side encryption,
encrypted databases.
 Email Archiving Solutions: Some products support S/MIME encryption
natively (e.g., Barracuda, Mimecast).
Email Ingestion: Capture all inbound and outbound emails for archiving from
your organization’s email system.
S/MIME Encryption: Encrypt each email using S/MIME with the recipient’s
public key, ensuring only the intended recipient can decrypt and access
archived emails.
Metadata Storage and Indexing: Extract and store metadata (subject, sender,
recipient) separately to enable search functionality without decrypting the
entire email.
Secure Storage: Store encrypted emails in a secure, redundant storage

solution with strong encryption (e.g., AES-256).
Access Control: Implement role-based access with multi-factor authentication.

Only authorized users with the correct private key can decrypt and view
archived emails.
Logging and Compliance: Maintain detailed logs of access and retrieval

activities to meet compliance requirements, and periodically audit for security
assurance.
PKI Management: Use a PKI solution to manage S/MIME certificates,

handling issuance, rotation, and revocation.

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Develop a secure email archiving solution that uses S/MIME to encrypt emails

stored in the archive.

 Archiving: Secure storage of emails for compliance and retrieval purposes.

Email Ingestion Pipeline:

o Capture emails as they are sent or received.

Encryption with S/MIME:

o Ensure each user has an S/MIME certificate.

Metadata Extraction and Indexing:

o For effective search, extract metadata (subject, sender, recipient, date)

Access Management and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):

o Limit access to the archived emails based on roles and permissions.

Data Integrity and Backup:

Compliance and Logging:

o Maintain a log of email access, retrieval, and any changes to archived

Setup S/MIME Certificates:

o Distribute S/MIME certificates to users and ensure email systems are

Capture and Encrypt Emails:

o Develop scripts or use an email gateway to capture all inbound and

o Store encrypted emails in a secure repository (e.g., an encrypted cloud

Metadata Extraction and Indexing:

o Index and store metadata separately to allow for quick searches

Access and Decryption Process:

o Authorized users can retrieve emails based on metadata search, but

4. Security Best Practices

 Use strong encryption algorithms and S/MIME configurations (e.g., AES-256).

5. Testing and Compliance

Tools and Technologies

Consider using solutions such as:

 PKI Management Tools: To manage S/MIME certificates (e.g., Microsoft

Secure Storage: Store encrypted emails in a secure, redundant storage

Access Control: Implement role-based access with multi-factor authentication.

Logging and Compliance: Maintain detailed logs of access and retrieval

PKI Management: Use a PKI solution to manage S/MIME certificates,

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