the security model of .

net framework is based on following:

^ type safety verifies that the code is only accessing data it is allowed to
access.
^ code signing prevents tampering with the assembly by other software or hacker.
^ data encryption protects data that ensures the code is not accessing data or
features it does not have permission to.
^ role-based security extends windows security by mapping users into roles with
permissions in the assembly.
^ isolated storage uses virtual file system for data storage. the storage is
separated into virtual sections based on the assembly and user.

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microsoft.net has classes that extend the cryptographic services provided by
windows� cryptoapi.
system.security.cryptography namespace of common language runtime provides classes
for

1. symmetric key encryption

2. asymmetric key encryption
3. hashing
4. digital certificates
5. xml signatures

the following private-key (symmetric key) algorithms are available in the .net
framework. each description contains some basic information about each algorithm,
including the strengths and weaknesses.

1) data encryption standard (des) algorithm encrypts and decrypts data in 64-bit
blocks, using a 64-bit key. even though the key is 64-bit, the effective key
strength is only 56-bits. there are hardware devices advanced enough that they can
search all possible des keys in a reasonable amount of time. this makes the des
algorithm breakable, and the algorithm is considered somewhat obsolete.

2) rc2 is a variable key-size block cipher. the key size can vary from 8-bit up to
64-bits for the key. it was specifically designed as a more secure replacement to
des. the processing speed is two to three times faster than des. however, the
rc2cryptoserviceprovider available in the .net framework is limited to 8
characters, or a 64-bit key. the 8-character limitation makes it susceptible to
the same brute force attack as des.

3) tripledes algorithm uses three successive iterations of the des algorithm. the
algorithm uses either two or three keys. just as the des algorithm, the key size
is 64-bit per key with an effective key strength of 56-bit per key. the tripledes
algorithm was designed to fix the shortcomings of the des algorithm, but the three
iterations result in a processing speed three times slower than des alone.

4) rijndael algorithm, one of the advanced encryption standard (aes) algorithms,

was designed as a replacement for the des algorithms. the key strength is stronger
than des, and was designed to out perform des. the key can vary in length from
128, 192, to 256 bits in length. this is the algorithm i personally trust the most
and that i'll use for the examples contained in the column.

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resource assemblies are assemblies that contain strings, icons, images, and so on,
and the resource assembly acts as a central storage of the resources for the
application.
satellite assemblies are resource assemblies that arem created to match a
particular language and culture, such as u.s. english.