Certificate authorities, like DigiCert, GlobalSign or Sectigo, offer different S/MIME certificates. These differ according to the level of trust, the digitally proved right of ownership as well as the type of authentication used.
Trust level 1 offers a high level of security, is intended for use in a personal environment and is authenticated per email.
Trust level 2 requires a more stringent identity check. Validation includes checking that the email address exists, that the company has control over the domain and that the company is listed in the commercial registry. Class 2 certificates also include the company name and are therefore more trustworthy than Class 1 certificates.
Trust level 3 offers the highest level of security and is intended for companies and corporations that must meet the highest IT security standards and compliance guidelines. Apart from authentication of the email address, the commercial registry listing is verified and the company is checked with a call using a number from the public directory.
The various classes provide different security levels according to the requirements. You can find an overview of our certificates here.