Advantages over classical secure e-mail are that confidential and authenticated exchanges can be started immediately by any internet user worldwide since there is no requirement to install any software nor to obtain or to distribute cryptographic keys beforehand.
This method synthesizes the authentication approach of web of trust, known from PGP, with the advantages of hierarchical structures, known from centralized PKI systems.
In a traditional client-server email, message data is downloaded to a local hard drive, and it is vulnerable if the computer is lost, stolen, or physically accessed by an unauthorized person.
[citation needed][5] According to Wolcott et al., secure messaging offers potential improvements in patient-provider relationships and outcomes.
Users only need a valid email address and a working internet connection with an up-to-date web browser.
With its use in business areas and one-on-one interaction secure messaging for recipients also includes their desire to share information with another party and negotiating the different rules across state borders.