api crypto

Cryptography API reference

Abstract

The cryptography interface is defined in the MKW.Cryptography library.

To begin using the cryptography API, please reference the following assemblies:

• MKW.Common
• MKW.Cryptography
• MKW.Cryptography.Loader

Initializing a provider

Please reference to the MKW.Cryptography.Loader library, which will help loading the cryptography provider based on the platform and user configuration.

Use one of the following code snippets to load a cryptography provider:

// Loads default cryptography provider (recommended).
var crypto = CryptographyLoader.GetProvider();

// Loads MKW.Cryptography.BouncyCastle cryptography provider.
var cryptoBouncyCastle = CryptographyLoader.GetProvider(BouncyCastleLoader.Name);

// Loads MKW.Cryptography.System cryptography provider.
// Note: won't work in .NET Framework projects.
var cryptoSystem = CryptographyLoader.GetProvider(SystemCryptographyLoader.Name);

Using the API

Through the ICryptographyProvider interface, you can access the following cryptographic operations:

• Symmetric operations
  • Key generation
  • Encryption
  • Decryption
• Asymmetric operations (public key cryptography)
  • Encryption
  • Decryption
  • Signature generation
  • Signature verification
• Secret key derivation from text password
• Random bytes generation

Follow the ICryptographyProvider.cs file more.

Implementing Custom Cryptography Providers

1. Create new class library project

Please name the project as MKW.Cryptography.<CryptoLibrary>.

Reference the following assemblies:

• MKW.Common (optional)
• MKW.Cryptography (the interfaces)
• MKW.Cryptography.Loader (TODO: to register loader)

2. Implement the provider

Create a class that implements the MKW.Cryptography.ICryptographyProvider interface. This is like the host of the provider.

Then add separate classes for each functionality, implementing the following interfaces:

• ISymmetricTransformer
• IAsymmetricPrivateTransformer+IAsymmetricPublicTransformer
• IUserCredentials
• IRandomGenerator

For each class, make them hidden for external assemblies by changing class modifier to internal, hide the constructor by changing its visibility to private or protected and create static methods Create and Open taking all the information needed to initialize the object. The ICryptographyProvider implementation should refer to these methods.

3. Register provider in the loader

This is not yet implemented in the loader, so currently the only option is to manually modify the MKW.Cryptography.Loader library, and introducing supporting the module.

4. Testing

The MKW.Cryptography.Tests project contains a bunch of test cases. It also checks compatibility between different modules to ensure the client will work the same way no matter which crypto provider is currently in use.

Just modify the test matrix of the test fixtures, by adding yours.