XML encryption is one method that WebSphere Application Server
provides to secure your Web services. It enables you to encrypt an XML element,
the content of an XML element, or arbitrary data such as an XML document.
Before you begin
Important: There is an important distinction between Version
5.x and Version 6 and later applications. The information in this article
supports Version 5.x applications only that are used with WebSphere Application
Server Version 6.0.x and later. The information does not apply to Version
6.0.x and later applications.
WebSphere Application Server provides
several different methods to secure your Web services. XML encryption is one
of these methods. You can secure your Web services using any of the following
methods:
- XML digital signature
- XML encryption
- Basicauth authentication
- Identity assertion authentication
- Signature authentication
- Pluggable token
About this task
XML encryption enables you to encrypt an XML element, the content
of an XML element, or arbitrary data such as an XML document. Like XML digital
signature, a message is sent by the client as the request sender to the server
as the request receiver. The response is sent by the server as the response
sender to the client as the request receiver. Unlike XML digital signature,
which verifies the authenticity of the sender, XML encryption scrambles the
message content using a key, which can be unscrambled by a receiver that possesses
the same key. You can use XML encryption in conjunction with XML digital signature
to scramble the content while verifying the authenticity of the message sender.
To
use XML encryption to secure Web services, you must use an assembly tool.
For more information, see Assembly tools
To securing Web services for Version 5.x applications
using XML encryption, complete the following steps: