Abstract: The invention relates generally secure mail operations. More particularly, the invention provides a method for managing a user security credential, the method comprising: storing, in a file contained in a data store communicatively coupled to a mail server, a security credential associated with a user; authorizing a client to access the data store according to an access permission associated with the user; retrieving the security credential from the file; and initiating a security-related mail operation from the client using the security credential without the security credential leaving the server.