| Navigation: ISAM File Drivers > TopSpeed Database Driver >====== Encryption Support in the TopSpeed driver ====== |    |
The TopSpeed driver already has a very secure encryption system. However, it is not based on any of the standard encryption algorithms. This makes the TopSpeed file format unavailable to some developers who have to guarantee the encryption algorithm. You have the option to use any encryption algorithm supported by any encryption provider that plugs into the Windows encryption subsystem. This enables developers to create, store and exchange data in a very secure environment.
There are two providers that are installed on all Windows Operating Systems: Microsoft Base Cryptographic Provider and Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider.
The Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider supports the same capabilities as the Microsoft Base Cryptographic Provider, but provides for stronger security through longer keys and additional algorithms. The Enhanced provider is installed on your machine when you apply the Internet Explorer 128-bit security patch.
In addition, you now have the ability to use any encryption algorithm supported by any encryption provider that plugs into the Windows encryption subsystem. So you can now even use new encryption providers as they become available!
To enable use of an alternative encryption algorithm you just supply at least one of the following encryption settings to the driver via the driver string.
Example Format:
(DriverString = Default Value)
/PROVIDER= PROV_RSA_FULL 1
Multiple driver strings need to be SPACE delimited.
| Driver String | Default Value | Description |
| /PROVIDER | Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider | The name of the cryptographic service provider |
| /CONTAINER | NULL | The container within the provider where the key algorithm is located (see (2) below) |
| /PROVIDERTYPE | (Full RSA) | The encryption type (see (3) below) |
| /KEYALGORITHM | (RC4) | The algorithm used to encrypt data |
| /HASHALGORITH | (MD5) | The algorithm used to hash the password (see (4) below) |
| /FORCEKEY | FALSE | Set to FALSE to use the default key algorithm if the supplied key algorithm is not available or not valid |
| /FORCEHASH | FALSE | Set to FALSE to use the default hash algorithm if the supplied hash algorithm is not available |
Additional Notes:
(1) You can use any of the driver string switches in a SEND command before the file is open to set the encryption algorithm. You can also retrieve the current value of any of the encryption options as the return result of the SEND command.
(2) /CONTAINER is the key container name. This is a string that identifies the key container to the CSP (cryptographic service provider). This name is independent of the method used to store the keys. Some CSPs store their key containers internally (in hardware), some use the system registry, and others use the file system.
When /CONTAINER is not specified, a default key container name is used. For example, the Microsoft Base Cryptographic Provider uses the logon name of the currently logged on user as the key container name. Other CSPs can also have default key containers that can be acquired in this way.
(3) This is the value associated with the different provider types. See the Microsoft Cryptographic Provider Types page for full details on provider types. The values of the different provider types supplied by the Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider (MECP) are:
PROV_RSA_FULL 1
PROV_RSA_SIG 2
PROV_DSS 3
PROV_FORTEZZA 4
PROV_MS_EXCHANGE 5
PROV_SSL 6
PROV_RSA_SCHANNEL 12
PROV_DSS_DH 13
PROV_EC_ECDSA_SIG 14
PROV_EC_ECNRA_SIG 15
PROV_EC_ECDSA_FULL 16
PROV_EC_ECNRA_FULL 17
PROV_DH_SCHANNEL 18
PROV_SPYRUS_LYNKS 20
PROV_RNG 21
PROV_INTEL_SEC 22
PROV_REPLACE_OWF 23
PROV_RSA_AES 24
(4) Values supported by the Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider are:
32769 MD2
32771 MD5
32772 U.S. DSA Secure Hash Algorithm
32773 Message Authentication Code
32776 SSL3 client authentication
32777 HMAC, a keyed hash algorithm
(5) Some values supported by various providers are:
17921 DES
17922 RC2
17923 3DES
17929 3DES 112
18433 RC4
For full list of key and hash algorithms the user should consult the documentation of their cryptography provider.
Example:
| PROGRAM |
| INCLUDE('EQUATES.CLW'),ONCE |
| CLALONG EQUATE(LONG) |
| MAP |
| CheckError(),CLALONG |
| END |
| ! To enable an alternative encryption algorithm you have to supply at least one of |
| ! the following encryption settings to the driver via the driver string: |
| ! |
| ! Driver String Default Description |
| ! /PROVIDER Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider The name of the cryptographic service provider |
| ! /CONTAINER NULL The container within the provider where the key algorithm is located |
| ! /PROVIDERTYPE 1 (Full RSA) The encryption type |
| ! /KEYALGORITHM 26625 (RC4) The algorithm used to encrypt data |
| ! /HASHALGORITH 32771 (MD5)1 The algorithm used to hash the password |
| ! /FORCEKEY FALSE Set to FALSE to use the default key algorithm if the supplied key algorithm is not available or not valid |
| ! /FORCEHASH FALSE Set to FALSE to use the default hash algorithm if the supplied hash algorithm is not available |
| ! use Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider, full RSA encryption and password hash using MD5! Driver strings need to be SPACE delimited. |
| Secrets FILE,DRIVER('TOPSPEED','/KEYALGORITHM=26625 /Providertype=1 /HASHALGORITH=32771'),OWNER('topsecret'),PRE(Sec),BINDABLE,CREATE,THREAD,ENCRYPT |
| ID_Key KEY(Sec:ID),NOCASE,OPT |
| record RECORD |
| ID LONG |
| Name STRING(20) |
| Secret STRING(500) |
| Secret2 STRING(20) |
| END |
| END |
| i LONG |
| CODE |
| CREATE(Secrets) |
| IF CheckError() THEN RETURN END |
| OPEN(Secrets) |
| IF CheckError() THEN RETURN END |
| i=0 |
| LOOP 10 times |
| i += 1 |
| Secrets.ID = i |
| Secrets.Name = 'Jane'&i |
| Secrets.Secret = 'Secret text number ' & i |
| Secrets.Secret2 = 'small Secret ' & i |
| ADD(Secrets) |
| IF CheckError() THEN MESSAGE('error on add to Secrets: ' & error()) END |
| END |
| CLOSE(Secrets) |
| CheckError FUNCTION |
| CODE |
| IF ERRORCODE() |
| IF ERRORCODE() = 90 |
| MESSAGE('File System Error: (' & FILEERRORCODE() & ') ' & FILEERROR()) |
| RETURN ERRORCODE() |
| END |
| MESSAGE('Error: ' & ERROR()) |
| RETURN ERRORCODE() |
| END |
| RETURN 0 |