Jay Heiser

Decisions The choice of encryption technologies is not always easy, but fortunately there are often several equally good options. The first step in choosing an algorithm is knowing the purpose to which it will be applied. Is it to ensure privacy, integrity, authenticity or to provide non-repudiation? Will it be used on a small amount of data or files so large that the encryption process could result in an unacceptable processing delay? The strength of an encryption method is dependent upon both the algorithm and the key length and can be understood in terms of the computational resources required to break it. The longer the key, the stronger any given algorithm. It is the value of the data and the length of time it must be protected that determines the necessary encrypt... (more)

Security for Java Programmers

One of the most significant aspects of Java programming is that it creates applications that have extraordinary relevance to computer security. Few UNIX administrators would be prepared to allow millions of users to execute programs as root (the administrative superuser) on their system, yet this level of potentially total power is what every user cedes when they point their browser at a... (more)

Java & Cryptography

Java programmers are network programmers and increasingly, network programmers write applications that need encryption technology. The Internet is like a huge chat room. Not only is it a worldwide sniffable net, it's developing its own unique business infrastructure. New virtual services are required to provide the confidence in business transactions that has been available through a pap... (more)

Java Security Mechanisms

Introduction Java developers are constantly becoming frustrated because of unexpected encounters with Java security features. For example, a recent posting on comp.langs.java.security complained about difficulties in being able to open a network socket with Java. After reading the security introduction in the last issue of JDJ, it should be clear that allowing Web content to open arbitra... (more)

Trusting Java Applets

The JDK 1.1 includes a new Java Security API which supports several important new security features, the most significant of which may turn out to be signed applets. Properly implemented, digital signatures will provide the additional trust needed to allow Java applets greater access to client system capabilities, thereby supporting more powerful Web-based applications. What Does Everyone... (more)