Securing Web services for v5.x applications using XML digital signature

 

Before you begin

Important distinction between V5.x and v6.x applications

Note: The information in this article supports v5.x applications only that are used with WAS v6.x. The information does not apply to v6.0.x applications.

WebSphere Application Server provides several different methods to secure your Web services; Extensible Markup Language (XML) digital signature is one of these methods. You might secure your Web services using any of the following methods:

 

Overview

XML digital signature provides both message integrity and authentication capabilities when it is used with SOAP messages. A message receiver can verify that attackers or accidents have not altered parts of the message after the message was signed by a key. If a message has a digital certificate issued by a certificate authority (CA) and a signature in the message is validated successfully by a public key in the certificate, it is proof that the signer has the corresponding private key. To use XML digital signature to secure Web services, complete the following steps:

 

Procedure

  1. Define the security constraints or extensions. To configure the security constraints, use and assembly tool. For more information, see Assembly tools.

    1. Configure the client to digitally sign a message request. To configure the client, complete the following steps to specify which parts of the SOAP message to digitally sign and define the method used to digitally sign the message. The client in these steps is the request sender.

      1. Specify the message parts by following the steps found in Configuring the client for request signing: digitally signing message parts.

      2. Select the method used to digitally sign the request message. We can select the digital signature method by following the steps in Configuring the client for request signing: choosing the digital signature method.

    2. Configure the server to verify the digital signature that is used in the message request. To configure the server, specify which parts of the SOAP message, sent by the request sender, contain digitally signed information and which method was used to digitally sign the message. The settings chosen for the request receiver, or the server in this step, must match the settings chosen for the request sender in the previous step.

      1. Define the message parts by following the steps found in Configuring the server for request digital signature verification: verifying message parts.

      2. Select the same method used by the request sender to digitally sign the message. We can select the digital signature method by following the steps in Configuring the server for request digital signature verification: choosing the verification method

    3. Configure the server to digitally sign a message response. To configure the server, complete the following steps to specify which parts of the SOAP message to digitally sign and define the method used to digitally sign the message. The sender in these steps is the response sender.

      1. Specify which message parts to digitally sign by following the steps found in Configuring the server for response signing: digitally signing message parts.

      2. Select the method used to digitally sign the response message. We can select the digital signature method by following the steps in Configuring the server for response signing: choosing the digital signature method

    4. Configure the client to verify the digital signature that is used in the message response. To configure the client, specify which parts of the SOAP message sent by the response sender contain digitally signed information and which method was used to digitally sign the message. The settings chosen for the response receiver, or client in this step, must match the settings chosen for the response sender in the previous step.

      1. Define the message parts by following the steps found in Configuring the client for response digital signature verification: verifying message parts

      2. Select the same method used by the response sender to digitally sign the message. We can select the digital signature method by following the steps in Configuring the client for response digital signature verification: choosing the verification method

  2. Define the client security bindings. To configure the client security bindings, complete the steps in either of the following topics:

  3. Define the server security bindings. To configure the server security bindings, complete the steps in either of the following topics:

 

Result

After completing these steps, you have secured your Web services using XML digital signature.

 

See also


Default binding
Default configuration for WAS Network Deployment
Trust anchors
Configuring trust anchors using an assembly tool
Configuring trust anchors using the administrative console
Collection certificate store
Configuring the client-side collection certificate store using an assembly tool
Configuring the client-side collection certificate store using the administrative console
Configuring the server-side collection certificate store using an assembly tool
Configuring the server-side collection certificate store using the administrative console
Configuring default collection certificate stores at the server level in the WAS administrative console
Configuring default collection certificate stores at the cell level in the WAS administrative console
Key locator
Keys
Web services security service provider programming interfaces
Configuring key locators using an assembly tool
Configuring key locators using the administrative console
Configuring server and cell level key locators using the administrative console
Trusted ID evaluator
Login mappings
Configuring the client for request signing: digitally signing message parts
Configuring the client for request signing: choosing the digital signature method
Configuring the server for request digital signature verification: Verifying the message parts
Configuring the server for request digital signature verification: choosing the verification method
Configuring the server for response signing: digitally signing message parts
Configuring the server for response signing: choosing the digital signature method
Configuring the client for response digital signature verification: verifying the message parts
Configuring the client for response digital signature verification: choosing the verification method
Configuring the client security bindings using an assembly tool
Configuring the security bindings on a server acting as a client using the administrative console
Configuring the server security bindings using an assembly tool
Configuring the server security bindings using the administrative console