Cryptographic Services

The service buttons in the right-hand panel allow key objects to be used for cryptographic operations such as encryption and digital signing.  To use these services, select the key item from the tree and then click the required button.

Clicking a button opens the associated dialog to guide the user through the operation of that service.

The next figure shows a typical dialog for Encrypt/decrypt and sign/verify services.

The Key field shows the type of key being used, and the Mechanism list shows mechanisms valid for the chosen key.  A parameter for the mechanism should be entered if required. See ProtectToolkit-C Mechanisms for more information on mechanism parameters.

The Parameter, Input, and Result fields all allow display in either hexadecimal or ASCII (text) format. The hexadecimal display is useful for the input, or display, of binary data that cannot normally be displayed. Use the [Hex]/[Asc] buttons to toggle between the two display options.

NOTE   These entry fields support cut-and-paste for easier input.

To encrypt information

1.Enter a parameter (if required by the mechanism).

2.Click Init.

3.Enter an Input value (information to be encrypted).

4.Click Encrypt.

The encrypted text is displayed in the result field.