Integrity in Web services security
The addition of integrity in Web services security ensures that information will not be accidentally lost or altered without proper authorization.
The purpose of integrity is to protect against illegal modifications to a message while in transit. To ensure the integrity of a message transition, an XML digital signature is generated and related to the contents of the SOAP message. If the contents are altered illegally during a transmission, the signature is changed and the receiver will be notified. WebSphere® Application Server allows for any number of aspects of the message to be signed, such as the body, other security tokens, or date stamp. You can find a detailed description of how to add an XML digital signature in the XML digital signature wizard task referenced below in the related links section.
Security risks of Web services with no integrity
The most pressing security threat raised from a message sent with no integrity security is tampering. Without integrity, any user can intercept a SOAP message and alter it to serve their own purpose. This is a serious risk because the attacker would have access to change even the most crucial information within the message such as a bank account number during a deposit or withdrawal transaction. The addition of an XML digital signature to the body of a message can eliminate this type of security threat.
Related concepts
Authentication in Web services security
Confidentiality in Web Services Security