Secure messages may be sent between senders and recipients using symmetric
message keys. The symmetric message keys may be derived from a master key
using a key generator at an organization. A gateway may encrypt outgoing
message using the derived keys. Senders in the organization can send
messages to recipients who are customers of the organization. The
recipients can authenticate to a decryption server in the organization
using preestablished credentials. The recipients can be provided with
copies of the derived keys for decrypting the encrypted messages. A
hierarchical architecture may be used in which a super master key
generator at the organization derives master keys for delegated key
generators in different units of the organization. An organization may
have a policy server that generates non-customer symmetric message keys.
The non-customer symmetric message keys may be used to encrypt messages
sent by a non-customer sender to a recipient at the organization.