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I'm looking to protect zip files that I will be regularly sending to a 3rd party.

I need to ensure strong confidentiality and non-repudation. I would like signing/encryption to be based on asymmetric keys to simplify key management.

Is PKCS#7 suitable for the use case described above?

Updated:

The zip file can be signed and the result can be encrypted using PKCS#7 Cryptographic Message Syntax.

Rory Alsop
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Chris Snow
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1 Answers1

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PKCS#7, now known as CMS, is a generic format for message with some content which is signed and/or encrypted. The content is any sequence of bytes so you can fit any kind of file in it, including Zip archives.

Of course CMS is just a tool. Using it won't magically sprinkle security everywhere. You will need to use it with some public-key infrastructure which will take care of distributing the public keys (as X.509 certificates). 95% of PKI is management procedures, not software.

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Thomas Pornin
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