Summary

This chapter has explored cryptography and shown you how to use the various cryptographic methods that the .NET Framework provides. It’s important to remember that the ciphers you use to encrypt and decrypt data will change over time because crackers will discover ways around the old ciphers. However, some of the techniques used for cryptography today—the actual processes used to perform the work—have remained unchanged for centuries. The code you write today will require change for the cipher, but it’s not likely you’ll change the process used to perform the work any time soon.

Writing the code to encrypt and decrypt data is only a small part of the actual work you need to perform. Cryptography requires a concerted effort by everyone involved. Humans are often the weakest link in any cryptographic process. Consequently, you need to help create a cryptographic policy for your company and ensure that policy remains up-to-date.

Chapter 8 discusses LAN security requirements. The trade press would have you believe that the LAN is stale and that not many organizations even rely on it anymore because Web services and other new technologies are so important. The problem with this view is that most companies do rely heavily on LANs and these networks aren’t secure. Chapter 8 helps you understand how you can write code with .NET that will make your network more secure. A secure network translates into an application environment that’s less susceptible to the problems created by online communication.