Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General FAQ — 20 Questions
Explain ZTmail’s overall value proposition, architecture, cryptographic foundation, trust model, and deployment options.

Q1. What is ZTmail?
A

ZTmail is a one‑stop Cryptographic Application Automation platform for email, chat, and documents. It automates certificate lifecycle management and certificate‑based cryptographic operations, including digital signing, signature validation, encryption, and decryption.

Q2. What is Cryptographic Application Automation?
A

Cryptographic Application Automation integrates certificate management, trusted identity, and cryptographic operations into practical application workflows. It makes digital signing, encryption, decryption, and signature validation easier to deploy and use without requiring every user to manage certificates manually.

Q3. What problems does ZTmail solve?
A

ZTmail addresses the gap between certificate issuance and everyday cryptographic applications. It automates certificate lifecycle management and cryptographic operations so that email, chat, and document security can become part of normal workflows rather than separate technical tasks.

Q4. What are the three ZTmail services?
A

ZTmail provides three complementary services:

  • ZTmail App: S/MIME certificate automation management and automated S/MIME operations for email security.
  • ZTmail Chat: Encrypted chat built on email infrastructure with S/MIME certificate automation.
  • ZTmail Sign: Document digital signing, encryption, and signature validation integrated into email workflows with document certificate automation.
Q5. What is ZTmail Gateway?
A

ZTmail Gateway is the enterprise implementation path for Cryptographic Application Automation. It adds cryptographic capabilities to existing organizational infrastructure and business systems without requiring organizations to replace their existing applications.

Q6. Does ZTmail replace existing email, chat, or document systems?
A

No. ZTmail is designed to complement existing infrastructure. App provides application‑level experience, while Gateway integrates cryptographic operations into existing email environments and supported organizational systems.

Q7. What is the difference between ZTmail App and ZTmail Gateway?
A

ZTmail App is designed primarily for individuals and small teams who want cryptographic capabilities integrated into their workflows. ZTmail Gateway is designed for organizations that need centralized management, enterprise integration, and organization‑wide cryptographic automation.

Q8. What is the difference between ZTmail Trust and Global Trust?
A

ZTmail Trust is the trust domain used within the ZTmail ecosystem. Global Trust relies on certificates issued under public CA trust for broader interoperability with compatible external applications. The two trust domains serve complementary purposes.

Q9. What is Hybrid Trust?
A

Hybrid Trust combines a globally trusted signature with an additional signature associated with ZTmail Trust. This can provide external signature interoperability alongside richer identity presentation within ZTmail applications, depending on the signature format and verification support.

Q10. What are T1, T2, T3, and T4 trusted identity levels?
A

ZTmail uses four identity indicators:

  • T1 — MV: Mailbox Validated.
  • T2 — IV: Individual Validated.
  • T3 — OV: Organization Validated.
  • T4 — SV: Sponsor Validated, representing the validated individual and organization relationship.

These indicators describe identity validation levels; they do not automatically establish legal authority to approve a transaction.

Q11. Does ZTmail support both RSA and SM2?
A

ZTmail's cryptographic architecture supports RSA and SM2 use cases and dual algorithm S/MIME certificate automation. The specific algorithms available depend on the service, certificate, deployment, and supported application configuration. RSA and SM2 can also be considered in dual‑signature designs where the relevant standards and implementations support them.

Q12. What is the relationship between AI and cryptography in ZTmail?
A

AI helps with productivity and content‑related tasks. Cryptography provides digital signatures, encryption, and certificate‑based identity validation. AI can assist users, but it does not replace cryptographic verification of identity or message integrity.

Q13. Does ZTmail require users to become certificates or PKI experts?
A

No. ZTmail is designed to automate certificate configuration and lifecycle operations, reducing the need for users to understand certificate installation, renewal, and cryptographic settings in detail.

Q14. How does ZTmail protect sensitive information?
A

ZTmail uses cryptographic mechanisms such as encryption, digital signatures, and controlled key management. Its architecture also supports privacy‑conscious workflows, including document signing in which the original document remains on the user's device while only its cryptographic hash is sent to the cloud signing service.

Q15. Does ZTmail automatically encrypt every email or document in every situation?
A

No. Encryption depends on the selected service, configuration, available recipient certificates or public keys, and applicable policies. ZTmail automates supported operations when the necessary prerequisites are in place; it does not make encryption possible without the required cryptographic material.

Q16. What is certificate lifecycle management?
A

Certificate lifecycle management covers the stages of requesting, validating, issuing, deploying, renewing, replacing, and revoking certificates. ZTmail automates supported lifecycle operations to reduce manual administration and help maintain continuous cryptographic protection.

Q17. Does ZTmail support international standards?
A

ZTmail's architecture uses established cryptographic standards and protocols, including S/MIME and CMS, with supported certificate automation and timestamping standards. The exact standards and algorithms available depend on the specific service and implementation. ZTmail is not a private protocol encryption system.

Q18. Can ZTmail support both personal and organizational security requirements?
A

Yes. ZTmail App supports personal and small‑team workflows, while ZTmail Gateway supports centralized organizational deployment. Trusted identity options can represent an individual, an organization, or an employee's relationship with an organization, depending on the certificate type.

Q19. Can ZTmail help organizations prepare for post‑quantum cryptography?
A

ZTmail's hybrid cryptographic architecture provides a potential approach for combining traditional and post‑quantum signatures as standards and compatible implementations become available. Actual deployment requires appropriate algorithms, certificate profiles, formats, and application support.

Q20. How should I choose the right ZTmail service?
A

Choose ZTmail App for personal or small‑team email security, ZTmail Chat for encrypted chat, and ZTmail Sign for document signing and encryption integrated into email workflows. Organizations that need centralized management or integration with existing systems should explore ZTmail Gateway.