Cryptographic Tasks 

The System.Security.Cryptography namespace contains classes that allow you to perform both symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, create hashes, and provide random number generation. Successful cryptography is the result of combining these tasks. This section describes the key cryptographic tasks that you can perform to create a cryptographic scheme.

In This Section

• Encrypting and Decrypting Data
  Describes how to generate and manage keys and how to encrypt and decrypt data.

• Cryptographic Signatures
  Describes how to generate and verify cryptographic signatures.

• Ensuring Data Integrity with Hash Codes
  Describes how to generate and verify hash codes.

• Creating a Cryptographic Scheme
  Describes how to help create a cryptographic scheme from the various cryptographic primitives.

• Extending the KeyedHashAlgorithm Class
  Describes how to extend the .NET Framework cryptographic classes by creating a keyed hash algorithm class that implements the MD5 hash algorithm.

• XML Encryption and Digital Signatures
  Provides links to reference and task-based documentation for XML encryption and digital signatures.

• How to: Use Data Protection
  Describes how to use the managed data protection API (DPAPI) to encrypt and decrypt data.

• How to: Access Hardware Encryption Devices
  Describes how to use hardware encryption devices with the .NET Framework.

Related Sections

• Cryptographic Services
  Provides an overview of cryptography and explains how to perform cryptography with the .NET Framework.

• Securing .NET Framework Applications
  Describes the entire .NET Framework security system.

• Configuring Cryptography Classes
  Describes how to map algorithm names to cryptographic classes and how to map object identifiers to a cryptographic algorithm.