How Does Domino Security Work?

Domino security is based on dual-key encryption technology known as the RSA Cryptosystem, which was developed by three now famous mathematicians: Rivest, Shamir, and Adelman (hence the name RSA ). Domino users and servers are given ID files that contain the user or server's name and password, as well as a public and private key. The public key is also stored in the Domino Directory (formerly known as the Public Name and Address Book ). A unique mathematical relationship exists between the two keys and is used in a process called authentication (discussed later in this section) to verify the identity of a user or server. When a user or server's identify has been established, access can be granted or denied to virtually any Domino resource. In fact, there are eight levels in which security can be applied, as shown in the following list:

• Physical
• Server
• Database
• Agent
• Form
• View
• Document
• Field

To build solid, secure applications, every developer must have a keen understanding of the eight levels of Domino security and how they can be interwoven to create application security that's nearly unbreakable .