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The Certified Electronic Mail messages are sent between two inboxes, and then certified domain.

When the sender (owner of a PEC box) sends a message to another certified user, the message is picked up bu the certificate domain manager (access point) that encloses it in a transport envelope and applies an electronic signature to it so as to ensure the inalterability, veracity and provenance of the message.

After that, the message will be sent to the recipient PEC who checks the signature and sends it to the recipient (delivery point). Once the message is delivered, the recipient PEC handler sends a delivery receipt to the message’s sender, which can be sure that the message has arrived to its destination.
When transmitting a message through 2 PEC boxes, other receitas are issued to ensure and verify the correct functioning of the system and to keep the transaction in a consistent state.

Specifically:

• the access point, after picking up the original message, generates an acceptance receipt that shall be sent to the sender of the message; this process allows the PEC message sender to know for sure that the process of sending the message has been initiated.
• the point of receipt, after collecting the message transport, generates a receipt for taking charge that the message has been sent to the recipient service provider; this process allows the PEC sender to make notice that the message has been taken into custody by another Certified Mail service provider using security encryption and protocols that provide a safe service that replaces the traditional mail service (both electronic and paper), also ensuring a spam, abuse and misunderstandings free mailbox service.

This safe procedure is able due to the following PEC characteristics:

• the message sent through a PEC comes from a certified mail service provider and from a unique certified email address;
• the message CAN NOT BE ALTERED during the sending process;
• the PEC allows total privacy communication, so all information is trade in a secure online environment;
• the PEC guarantees the assurance of email delivery services to a certified mailbox, including the delivery receipt, similar to the traditional A / R (with the same legal value);
• thanks to the delivery receipt, the PEC protects the sender in case of any dispute regarding any received message
• the PEC ensures the confirmation of delivery and reception date of the message and preserves electronic communication traces trade by the message’s sender and recipient.

Among the important features of the PEC, it should be noted that may the sender loses the messages receipts, the electronic trace of the operations performed should be kept for 30 months in a secure registered computer by the PEC service provider, according to the Decreto. This register has the same legal value as the delivery receipts.