Summary

In this chapter, we introduced several Java approaches to secure communications between applications. We started with a brief introduction to security-related terms and followed the introduction with a more detailed discussion later.

There are two common encryption/decryption approaches that are used today. The first is symmetric key encryption, which uses a single key that is shared between the applications. This approach requires that the key be transmitted between the applications in a secure fashion.

The second approach uses asymmetric encryption. This technique uses a private and a public key. A message encrypted with one of these keys can be decrypted with the other key. Normally, the public key is distributed using a certificate from a trusted source. The holder of the private key needs to secure it so that no one else has access to it. The public key is freely shared with anyone who needs it.

Cryptographic keys are usually stored in a keystore that permit programmatic access...