Creating a Secure Connection Using Schannel

The Schannel security package provides access to five security protocols:

Note

The PCT and SSL 2.0 protocols have been superseded by the TLS protocol and should not be used for new development.

 

To set up a secure connection between a client and server

  1. Obtain Schannel credentials (Obtaining Schannel Credentials).
  2. Create an Schannel security context (Creating an Schannel Security Context).

After a connection is established, you can retrieve information about its attributes. For details, see Getting Information About Schannel Connections.

If, after you have established a connection, the security requirements of your application change or the connection is lost, you can renegotiate the connection. For details, see Renegotiating an Schannel Connection.

When you have finished using an Schannel connection, you must perform the necessary cleanup. For details, see Shutting Down an Schannel Connection.

For information about samples shipped with the Platform Software Development Kit (SDK) that demonstrate the Schannel security package, see the PSDK samples using Schannel.

Specifying Schannel Ciphers and Cipher Strengths