.NET Framework Security

Using Asymmetric Algorithms

The final portion of the core cryptographic object model to discuss is the set of classes that implement asymmetric algorithms and associated formatting/ deformatting functions. Asymmetric algorithms are represented in the .NET Framework by the AsymmetricAlgorithm class and its subclasses. Like their symmetric counterparts, individual asymmetric algorithms are represented in the object model as subclasses of the abstract AsymmetricAlgorithm class and specific implementations of an algorithm are subclasses of those subclasses. For example, the RSA algorithm is represented by the RSA class, which is a subclass of AsymmetricAlgorithm. An implementation of the RSA algorithm is provided by the RSACryptoServiceProvider