Keys

Keys are used for XML signature and encryption.

Important: There is an important distinction between Version 5.x and Version 6 and later applications. The information supports Version 5.x applications only used with WAS v6.0.x and later. The information does not apply to Version 6 and later applications.

There are two predominant kinds of keys used in the current Web Services Security implementation:

• Public key - such as RSA encryption and Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) encryption

• Secret key - such as Data Encryption Standard (DES) encryption

In public key-based signature, a message is signed using the sender private key and is verified using the sender public key. In public key-based encryption, a message is encrypted using the receiver public key and is decrypted using the receiver private key. In secret key-based signature and encryption, the same key is used by both parties.

While the current implementation of Web Services Security can support both kinds of keys, there are a few items to note:

• Secret key-based signature is not supported.

• The format of the message differs slightly between public key-based encryption and secret key-based encryption.

Related concepts

Key locator