Site Security Using Microsoft's CryptoAPI

Many of us don't fully realize the mass amounts of valuable information that our databases hold. For many e-commerce sites, databases often serve as the heart of a company, holding everything from its web-based content to its customers' secure information, including social security numbers, credit card numbers, and phone numbers. If a system gets compromised, the damage can usually be repaired or contained. On the other hand, if a company's customer database gets cracked, it's a big deal. For example, if your network is compromised and the intruder gets access to your database, the chances are good that he will be able to view or alter your secure information. Sadly, while companies often go to great lengths to protect their systems, they often fall short of protecting the actual data for which their systems are built. One way to take care of this problem is through the use of encryption. In this expert article, Rob Schieber shows you how to use Microsoft's base CryptoAPI functions to encrypt data and access encrypted data in a way that is secure yet functional.