WAS v8.5 > Develop applications > Develop web services - Security (WS-Security) > Configure Web Services Security during application assembly > Configure XML encryption for v5.x web services with an assembly tool

Secure web services for v5.x applications using XML encryption

XML encryption is one method that WebSphere Application Server provides to secure the web services. It enables you to encrypt an XML element, the content of an XML element, or arbitrary data such as an XML document.

There is an important distinction between v5.x and v6 and later applications. The information in this article supports v5.x applications only used with WAS v6.0.x and later. The information does not apply to v6.0.x and later applications.

WAS provides several different methods to secure the web services. XML encryption is one of these methods. We can secure the web services using any of the following methods:

XML encryption enables you to encrypt an XML element, the content of an XML element, or arbitrary data such as an XML document. Like XML digital signature, a message is sent by the client as the request sender to the server as the request receiver. The response is sent by the server as the response sender to the client as the request receiver. Unlike XML digital signature, which verifies the authenticity of the sender, XML encryption scrambles the message content using a key, which can be unscrambled by a receiver that possesses the same key. We can use XML encryption in conjunction with XML digital signature to scramble the content while verifying the authenticity of the message sender.

To use XML encryption to secure web services, use an assembly tool. For more information, see the related information on Assembly Tools.

To securing web services for v5.x applications using XML encryption...

  1. Specify the encryption settings for the request sender. The message parts and the encryption method settings chosen for the request sender on the client must match the message parts and the method settings chosen for the request receiver on the server. To specify the encryption settings for the request sender:

    1. Configure the client for request encryption: Encrypting the message parts.
    2. Configure the client for request encryption: choosing the encryption method.

  2. Specify the encryption settings for the request receiver. The decryption settings chosen for the request receiver must match the encryption settings chosen for the request sender.

    To specify the decryption settings for the request receiver:

    1. Configure the server for request decryption: decrypting the message parts.
    2. Configure the server for request decryption: choosing the decryption method.

  3. Specify the encryption settings for the response sender. The message parts and the encryption method settings chosen for the response sender on the server must match the message parts and the method settings chosen for the response receiver on the client. To specify the encryption settings for the response sender:

    1. Configure the server for response encryption: encrypting the message parts.
    2. Configure the server for response encryption: choosing the encryption method.

  4. Specify the encryption settings for the response receiver.

    Remember: The decryption settings chosen for the response receiver must match the encryption settings chosen for the response sender. To specify the decryption settings for the response receiver...

    1. Configure the client for response decryption: decrypting the message parts.
    2. Configure the client for response decryption: choosing a decryption method.


Results

After completing these steps, we have secured the web services using XML encryption.


Related concepts:

Secure web services
Request sender
Request receiver
Response sender
Response receiver
XML encryption
XML digital signature
Development and assembly tools


Related


Configure the client for request encryption: Encrypting the message parts
Configure the client for request encryption: choosing the encryption method
Configure the server for request decryption: decrypting the message parts
Configure the server for request decryption: choosing the decryption method
Configure the server for response encryption: encrypting the message parts
Configure the server for response encryption: choosing the encryption method
Configure the client for response decryption: decrypting the message parts
Configure the client for response decryption: choosing a decryption method


Reference:

Login bindings configuration settings


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