Date: Sun, 13 Jul 1997 14:30:24 -0700
Message-Id: <199707132130.OAA01256@puffin.eng.sun.com>
From: Marianne Mueller <mrm@Eng>
To: dmiller@preEmptive.com
Subject: Re: wrapping/unwrapping session keys
The JDK is a worldwide exportable product, deliberately, meaning that
the way you can use DSA for signing from the standard JDK isn't
amenable for encryption/decryption. Encryption/decryption is
controlled by the US govt, meaning that we can't export encryption
APIs. Companies can export products that have encyption bundled
into them as part of the product, as long as the crypto APIs aren't
exposed, and the bundled crypto is the so-called "weak" crypto.
A good reference book for applications of algorithms is Bruce
Schneier's "Applied Cryptography."
If you're in the US, you can download the JCE, the Java Cryptography
Extension package, from http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.1/jce/
That has an implementation of DES in Java.
Marianne
> my question is, how do you go about using a public
> key to wrap the session key? with signatures, only
> a private key is allowed to sign. in a separate message,
> i was also told that DSA is a irreversible algorithm.
> the only key pairs i've been able to generate so far
> have used the DSA algrotihm. is there an algorithm
> available for generating key pairs that is reversible
> (i.e. can be used for encryption/decryption).