Java Glossary : JCE

Java definitions: 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

You are here : home : Java Glossary : J words : JCE.

Java Cryptographic Extension API spec from SUN. The implementation for USA is from SUN. The JCE now comes bundled with JDK 1.4.

reference Guide : available:

on the web at java.Sun.com
on J: in the JDK 1.4.2_04: J:\j2sdk1.4.2_04\docs\guide\security\jce\JCERefGuide.html
on J: in the JDK 1.5 beta: J:\Program Files\Java\j2sdk1.5.0\docs\guide\security\jce\JCERefGuide.html

I have not found a definitive list of what it supports, but I believe it supports: RSA (signature and encryption), RC2, RC5, SHA-0, SHA-1, MD5, DES, ECB, CBC, IDEA, Blowfish and Twofish. It must have some support for DSA.

JCE is designed as a plug-in to be replaced by a third party provider with additional protocols. For example, BouncyCastle.org add PGP support.

Americans have a silly law that code written in the USA that does strong encryption cannot be exported outside the USA and Canada, even though the algorithms are published. This has had the effect of stimulating European and Australians to provide such software which is immune to the restriction, taking business away from American companies. In particular, BouncyCastle.org is located in Australia. You can use Sun's weak or strong JCE, but if you use the strong JCE, you can't export your product. The solution is to plug-replace Sun's JCE with one written outside the USA.

ABA, the Australian Business Access has provided a clean room implementation of JCE 1.2, including a cryptographic service provider, for international use. ABA itself seems to have disappeared. BouncyCastle has a free cleanroom implementation of JCE 1.2.1.

BeeJCE ¤ BouncyCastle

home	Canadian Mind Products
	mindprod.com IP:[24.87.56.253]
	Your IP:[80.134.30.163]
	You are visitor number 1190.
	Please send errors, omissions and suggestions
	to improve this page to Roedy Green.
	You can get a fresh copy of this page from:	or possibly from your local J: drive mirror:
	http://mindprod.com/jgloss/jce.html	J:\mindprod\jgloss\jce.html