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Trail: Security in Java 2 SDK 1.2
Lesson: Summaries

## API Classes and Interfaces

> The main JDK 1.2 Security API classes and interfaces are shown below. Each is in the `java.security` package unless otherwise stated.

>   Access Control Classes
>     Permission Classes
>     Policy
>     AccessController
>     AccessControlContext
>     PrivilegedAction and PrivilegedExceptionAction
>     CodeSoure
>     ProtectionDomain
>     SecureClassLoader
>   Cryptography Classes
>     Provider
>     Signature
>     MessageDigest
>     Key Interfaces and Classes
>     Key Specification Interfaces and Classes
>     Algorithm Parameter Classes
>     Algorithm Parameter Specification Interfaces and Classes
>     Certificate Classes
>     SecureRandom
>   Security
>   SecurityManager

> # Access Control Classes

> > ## Permission Classes

> > > The permission classes represent accesses to system resources. The

> > > >     java.security.Permission

> > > class is an abstract class and is subclassed, as appropriate, to represent specific accesses.

> > > Clients can easily define their own new permissions, by subclassing either from the Permission class or one of its subclasses, such as

> > > >     java.security.BasicPermission

> > > Subclassed permissions (other than `BasicPermission`) generally belong to their own packages. Thus, `FilePermission` is found in the `java.io` package.

> > > The built-in JDK 1.2 permission types (classes) are

> > > - `java.security.AllPermission`
> > > ,

> > > - `java.io.FilePermission`
> > > ,

> > > - `java.net.SocketPermission`
> > > ,

> > > - `java.net.NetPermission`
> > > ,

> > > - `java.security.SecurityPermission`
> > > ,

> > > - `java.lang.RuntimePermission`
> > > ,

> > > - `java.util.PropertyPermission`
> > > ,

> > > - `java.awt.AWTPermission`
> > > ,

> > > - `java.lang.reflect.ReflectPermission`
> > > , and

> > > - `java.io.SerializablePermission`
> > > .

> > > Permissions typically have a "name" and sometimes an "action". Classes like `FilePermission` and `SocketPermission` that have a more complicated name syntax than that used by `BasicPermission` subclass directly from `Permission` rather than from `BasicPermission`. For example, for a `java.io.FilePermission` object, the permission name is the pathname of a file (or directory), while the permission name for a `BasicPermission` is simply the name of the given permission (for example, "exitVM", "setFactory", "queuePrintJob", etc).

> > > Some of the permission classes have an "actions" list that tells the actions that are permitted for the object. For example, for a `java.io.FilePermission` object, the actions list (such as "read, write") specifies which actions are granted for the specified file (or for files in the specified directory).

> > > Other permission classes are for "named" permissions - ones that contain a name but no actions list; you either have the named permission or you don't. `BasicPermission` is commonly used as the base class for "named" permissions, since in it, the action string (inherited from Permission) is unused. Subclasses may implement actions on top of `BasicPermission`, if desired.

> > ## Policy

> > > The policy for a Java application environment (specifying which permissions are available for code from various sources) is represented by a `Policy` object. More specifically, it is represented by a `Policy` subclass providing an implementation of the abstract methods in the `Policy` class.

> > > The source location for the policy information utilized by the `Policy` object is up to the `Policy` implementation. The default `Policy` implementation included with the JDK obtains its information from static policy configuration files.

> > ## AccessController

> > > The `AccessController` class is used for three purposes:

> > > - The `checkPermission` method decides whether an access to a critical system resource is to be allowed or denied, based on the security policy currently in effect. This is invoked by the `SecurityManager` `checkPermission` method.

> > > - The `doPrivileged` methods mark code as being privileged, thus affecting subsequent access determinations.

> > > - The `getContext` method obtains a "snapshot" of the current calling context so access-control decisions from a different context can be made with respect to the saved context.

> > ## AccessControlContext

> > > An `AccessControlContext` is used to make system resource access decisions based on the context it encapsulates.The purpose of `AccessControlContext` is for those situations where a security check that should be made within a given context actually needs to be done from within a different context (for example, from within a worker thread).

> > ## PrivilegedAction and PrivilegedExceptionAction

> > > `PrivilegedAction` represents a computation to be performed with privileges enabled. The computation is performed by invoking the `AccessController` `doPrivileged` method on the `PrivilegedAction` object.

> > > The `PrivilegedAction` interface is used only for computations that do not throw checked exceptions; computations that throw checked exceptions must use `PrivilegedExceptionAction` instead.

> > ## CodeSource

> > > Code being executed is always considered to come from a particular "code source" (represented by an object of type `CodeSource`). A `CodeSource` consists of a URL (specifying the location where the code originated from) and a set of certificates containing the public key(s) corresponding to the private key(s) used to sign the code (if the code was signed).

> > ## ProtectionDomain

> > > This class encapulates the characteristics of a domain, which encloses a set of classes whose instances are granted the same set of permissions.

> > > In addition to a set of permissions, a domain is comprised of a `CodeSource`, which is a set of `PublicKey`s together with a codebase (in the form of a URL). Thus, classes signed by the same keys and from the same URL are placed in the same domain.

> > ## SecureClassLoader

> > > This is a concrete implementation of `java.lang.Classloader` that also handles loading remote classes (e.g., from URL and InputStream). All applets and applications (except for system classes) are loaded by a `SecureClassLoader` either directly or indirectly.

> # Cryptography Classes

> > ## Provider

> > > The term "Cryptographic Service Provider" ("provider" for short) is used to refer to a package or set of packages that supply a concrete implementation of a subset of the cryptography aspects of the JDK Security API. The `Provider` class is the interface to such a package or set of packages. It has methods for accessing the provider name, version number, and other information.

> > > There are several types of services that can be implemented by provider packages - see the Engine Classes.

> > ## Signature

> > > The `Signature` class is an engine class designed to provide the functionality of a digital signature algorithm such as DSA or RSA with MD5. A signature algorithm takes arbitrary-sized input and a private key and generates a relatively short (often fixed-size) string of bytes, called the signature, with the following properties:
> > > - Given the public key corresponding to the private key used to generate the signature, it should be possible to verify the authenticity and integrity of the input.

> > > - The signature and the public key do not reveal anything about the private key.

> > > A `Signature` object can be used to generate a digital signature for data. It can also be used to verify whether or not an alleged signature is in fact the authentic signature of the data associated with it.

> > ## MessageDigest

> > > The `MessageDigest` class is an engine class designed to provide the functionality of cryptographically secure message digests such as SHA-1 or MD5. A cryptographically secure message digest takes arbitrary-sized input (a byte array), and generates a fixed-size output, called a digest. A digest has the following properties:

> > > - It should be computationally infeasible to find another input string that will generate the same digest.

> > > - The digest does not reveal anything about the input that was used to generate it.

> > > Message digests are used to produce unique and reliable identifiers of data. They are sometimes called the "digital fingerprints" of data.

> > ## Key Interfaces and Classes

> > ### Key

> > > The `Key` interface is the top-level interface for all opaque keys. It defines the functionality shared by all opaque key objects.

> > > It gives you limited access to the key - just the three methods defined by the `Key` interface: `getAlgorithm`, `getFormat`, and `getEncoded`.

> > > Keys are generally obtained through key generators, certificates, key specifications (using a `KeyFactory`), or a `KeyStore` implementation accessing a "keystore" database used to manage keys.

> > > It is possible to parse encoded keys, in an algorithm-dependent manner, using a `KeyFactory`.

> > ### PublicKey and PrivateKey

> > > The `PublicKey` and `PrivateKey` interfaces (which both extend the `Key` interface) are method-less interfaces, used for type-safety and type-identification for public keys and private keys.

> > ### KeyPair

> > > The `KeyPair` class is a simple holder for a key pair (a public key and a private key). It has two public methods, one for returning the private key, and the other for returning the public key.

> > ### KeyPairGenerator

> > > The `KeyPairGenerator` class is an engine class used to generate pairs of public and private keys.

> > ### KeyFactory

> > > The `KeyFactory` class is an engine class designed to provide conversions between opaque cryptographic keys (of type `Key`) and key specifications (transparent representations of the underlying key material).

> > > Key factories are bi-directional, i.e., they allow you to build an opaque key object from a given key specification (key material), or to retrieve the underlying key material of a key object in a suitable format.

> > ### KeyStore

> > > A database called a "keystore" can be used to manage a repository of keys and certificates.

> > > The `KeyStore` class is an engine class that supplies well-defined interfaces to access and modify the information in a keystore. It is possible for there to be multiple different concrete implementations, where each implementation is that for a particular type of keystore.

> > > There is a built-in default implementation, provided by Sun Microsystems. It implements the keystore as a file, utilizing a proprietary keystore type (format) named "JKS". It protects each private key with its individual password, and also protects the integrity of the entire keystore with a (possibly different) password.

> ## Key Specification Interfaces and Classes

> > Key specifications are transparent representations of the key material that constitutes a key.

> > A transparent representation of keys means that you can access each key material value individually, through one of the "get" methods defined in the corresponding specification class.

> > A key may be specified in an algorithm-specific way, or in an algorithm-independent encoding format (such as ASN.1). For example, a DSA private key may be specified by its components `x`, `p`, `q`, and `g` (see `DSAPrivateKeySpec`), or it may be specified using its DER encoding (see `PKCS8EncodedKeySpec`).

> > The key specification interfaces and classes appear in the `java.security.spec` package. They are described below.

> > ### KeySpec

> > > This interface contains no methods or constants. Its only purpose is to group (and provide type safety for) all key specifications. All key specifications must implement this interface.

> > ### DSAPrivateKeySpec

> > > This class (which implements the `KeySpec` Interface) specifies a DSA private key with its associated parameters.

> > ### DSAPublicKeySpec

> > > This class (which implements the `KeySpec` Interface) specifies a DSA public key with its associated parameters.

> > ### RSAPrivateKeySpec

> > > This class (which implements the `KeySpec` Interface) specifies an RSA private key.

> > ### RSAPrivateCrtKeySpec

> > > This class (which extends the RSAPrivateKeySpec class) specifies an RSA private key, as defined in the PKCS#1 standard, using the Chinese Remainder Theorem (CRT) information values.

> > ### RSAPublicKeySpec

> > > This class (which implements the `KeySpec` Interface) specifies an RSA public key.

> > ### EncodedKeySpec

> > > This abstract class (which implements the `KeySpec` Interface) represents a public or private key in encoded format.

> > > ### PKCS8EncodedKeySpec

> > > > This class, which is a subclass of `EncodedKeySpec`, represents the DER encoding of a private key, according to the format specified in the PKCS #8 standard.

> > > ### X509EncodedKeySpec

> > > > This class, which is a subclass of `EncodedKeySpec`, represents the DER encoding of a public or private key, according to the format specified in the X.509 standard.

> ## Algorithm Parameter Classes

> > ### AlgorithmParameters

> > > The `AlgorithmParameters` class is an engine class that provides an opaque representation of cryptographic parameters.

> > > An opaque representation is one in which you have no direct access to the parameter fields; you can only get the name of the algorithm associated with the parameter set and some kind of encoding for the parameter set.

> > ### AlgorithmParameterGenerator

> > > The `AlgorithmParameterGenerator` class is an engine class used to generate a set of parameters to be used with a certain algorithm (the algorithm specified when an `AlgorithmParameterGenerator` instance is created).

> ## Algorithm Parameter Specification Interfaces and Classes

> > An algorithm parameter specification is a transparent representation of the sets of parameters used with an algorithm.

> > A transparent representation of parameters means that you can access each value individually, through one of the "get" methods defined in the corresponding specification class.

> > The algorithm parameter specification interfaces and classes that appear in the `java.security.spec` package are described below.

> > ### AlgorithmParameterSpec

> > > `AlgorithmParameterSpec` is an interface to a transparent specification of cryptographic parameters. This interface contains no methods or constants. Its only purpose is to group (and provide type safety for) all parameter specifications. All parameter specifications must implement this interface.

> > ### DSAParameterSpec

> > > This class (which implements the `AlgorithmParameterSpec` interface) specifies the set of parameters used with the DSA algorithm.

> ## Certificate Classes

> > ### Certificate

> > > The `java.security.cert.Certificate` class is an abstraction for certificates that have different formats but important common uses. For example, different types of certificates, such as X.509 and PGP, share general certificate functionality (like encoding and verifying) and some types of information (like a public key).

> > ### CertificateFactory

> > > The `java.security.cert.CertificateFactory` class is an engine class that defines the functionality of a certificate factory, which is used to generate certificate and certificate revocation list (CRL) objects from their encodings.

> > ### X509Certificate

> > > The `java.security.cert.X509Certificate` class is an abstract class for X.509 certificates. It provides a standard way to access all the attributes of an X.509 certificate.

> ## SecureRandom

> > The `SecureRandom` class is an engine class that provides the functionality of a random number generator.

# Security

> The `Security` class manages installed providers and security-wide properties. It only contains static methods and is never instantiated.

# SecurityManager

> `java.lang.SecurityManager` is a class that allows applications to implement a security policy. It allows an application to determine, before performing a possibly unsafe or sensitive operation, what the operation is, and to decide whether or not to allow execution of the operation.

> The `SecurityManager` class contains many methods with names that begin with the word `check`. These methods are called by various methods in the runtime libraries before those methods perform certain potentially sensitive operations.

> As of JDK 1.2, the default implementation of each of the `checkXXX` methods is to call the special `SecurityManager` `checkPermission(java.security.Permission perm)` method, passing it the permission required in order to perform the requested operation. The `checkPermission` method then determines whether the access request indicated by the specified permission should be granted or denied by calling

> >     AccessController.checkPermission(perm);

> If a requested access is allowed, `checkPermission` returns quietly. If denied, a `SecurityException` is thrown.

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