The "signed and enveloped data" content type is a part of the Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS), which is used in various Internet Standards. However, it's not recommended for use due to several reasons:
1.**Complexity**: The "signed and enveloped data" content type combines two operations - signing and enveloping (encryption). This increases the complexity of the implementation and can lead to potential security vulnerabilities if not handled correctly.
2.**Order of Operations**: The "signed and enveloped data" content type first signs the data and then encrypts it. This means that to verify the signature, the data must first be decrypted. This could potentially expose sensitive data to unauthorized parties before the signature is verified.
3.**Lack of Flexibility**: Combining signing and enveloping into a single operation reduces flexibility. It's often more useful to be able to perform these operations separately, as it allows for more varied use cases.
Instead of using the "signed and enveloped data" content type, it's generally recommended to use separate "signed data" and "enveloped data" content types. This allows the operations to be performed in the order that best suits the application's needs, and also simplifies the implementation.