Keys are used for XML signature and encryption.
Important: There is an important distinction between Version
5.x and Version 6 and later applications. The information 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 and later applications.
There are two predominant kinds of keys used in the current Web
Services Security implementation:
- Public key - such as Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA) encryption and
Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) encryption
- Secret key - such as Data Encryption Standard (DES) encryption
In public key-based signature, a message is signed using the sender
private key and is verified using the sender public key. In public
key-based encryption, a message is encrypted using the receiver public
key and is decrypted using the receiver private key. In secret key-based
signature and encryption, the same key is used by both parties.
While the current implementation of Web Services Security can support
both kinds of keys, there are a few items to note:
- Secret key-based signature is not supported.
- The format of the message differs slightly between public key-based
encryption and secret key-based encryption.