Important changes for EDI@Energy – adjustments for NoSpamProxy customers

The mandatory introduction of the AES-128 GCM encryption standard in the EDI@Energy area will take effect on April 1 ,2025. The transition was originally planned for October 1, 2024, but the Bundesnetzagentur has now postponed the deadline by six months. This is a crucial adjustment for companies and service providers involved in market communication in the energy sector.

What does this mean for NoSpamProxy customers?

The postponement of the deadline to April 1, 2025 offers users of our NoSpamProxy email gateway the opportunity to make the necessary configuration adjustments in good time. Since NoSpamProxy uses a rule-based decision logic to determine whether AES-128 GCM is applied, the corresponding regulation will originally take effect from October 1, 2024. To prevent this until the new deadline is reached, affected customers will have to make manual changes to the configuration.

Manual configuration adjustment in NoSpamProxy

NoSpamProxy customers who wish to postpone the implementation of the new encryption standard until April 1, 2025 can do so by adjusting the Intranet Role.config file:

1. Stop the Intranet Role.
2. Open the Intranet Role.config file under C:ProgramDataNet at Work Mail GatewayConfigurationIntranet Role.config.
3. Search for the name of the rule that is to be changed.
4. In the actions section of the rule, find the <signandencrypt< strong=””> section.</signandencrypt<>
5. Add the following line: ediAtEnergyAes128GcmStrictFromDate=”2025-04-01 12:00:00″.
6. Save the file.
7. Start the Intranet Role.
8. Open a rule in the set of rules and save it to trigger replication.
9. Check in the Gateway Role.config file under C:ProgramDataNet at Work Mail GatewayConfigurationGateway Role.config whether the changes have been synchronised. This can take up to five minutes. If this does not work, synchronise the configuration manually.

Alternative configuration method: Define exceptions for specific partners

Alternatively, you can use a general rule that applies AES-128 GCM correctly from October 1, 2024, while exceptions are defined for specific partners. These exception rules should then take the new date (April 1, 2025) into account. However, this could result in an error case for partners who do not support AES-128 GCM.

Automatic adjustment depending on partner capabilities

If you make the rule adjustment in all existing rules, NoSpamProxy would automatically recognise whether a partner is able to use AES-128 GCM. As long as the rule date has not been reached, the S/MIME settings of the respective partner can be overwritten manually if necessary.

Summary

NoSpamProxy offers a flexible and simple solution to manage the transition to AES-128 GCM in EDI@Energy. By adapting the configuration in good time, our customers can ensure that their email communication will continue to function smoothly beyond October 1, 2024. We will be happy to answer any specific questions you may have about the configuration.

Prepare for the upcoming changes, and stay safe with NoSpamProxy!