Cryptography
In the digital world, privacy and authentication are achieved through cryptography. Microsoft® Windows® Mobile-based Smartphone and Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC offer the following cryptographic services:
- Encryption, to provide privacy and authentication between two communicating parties who have exchanged a shared secret. For more information, see Encryption Support.
- Hashing, to insure data integrity of information when sent over a nonsecure channel such as the Internet. For more information, see Hashing Support.
- Digital Signature, to authenticate another party, or information sent by that party, without prior exchange of a shared secret. For more information, see Digital Signature Support (PPC Only).
These cryptographic services are provided on Smartphone and Pocket PC through the CryptoAPI abstract interface. Each of the CryptoAPI functions is performed by an independent module within CryptoAPI — called a cryptographic service provider — that uses a variety of cryptographic algorithms to perform all of the functions. Because CryptoAPI uses a modular architecture, there are several cryptographic service providers that can be used with CryptoAPI and each one uses a different combination of algorithms; however, the cryptographic service provider that is supported by Windows Mobile-based mobile devices is the Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider.
For more information about cryptography support, see the Pocket PC Developer's Reference.
See Also
Security for Windows Mobile Devices
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