All Microsoft Windows operating systems, except for Windows 95
(R), allow third party vendors to supply their own security services to the
system. These services are stored in the operating system and are
identified uniquely by their Cryptographic Service Provider name. Each
Cryptographic Service Provider (CSP) contain the following:
Key Containers.
Key containers reside in a database that contain block of records, each
containing at most two public/private key pairs: a key exchange pair or digital
signature pair.
Algorithms.
Algorithms are used in cryptographic services such as encryption,
authentication and digital signature.
When launched, the eSecurityConsole lists all CSPs available in
the system. The algorithms that a CSP supports indicate what
cryptographic services it provides such as encryption, authentication and
digital signatures.
To list all algorithms supported by a CSP:
Expand the branch having the CSP name, and if algorithms are
supported, an item "Algorithms" under the branch should be displayed.
Expand the "Algorithms" branch, and all the supported algorithms
of the CSP are listed.
Each CSP also lists all key containers available in its key
container database. Key containers hold, at most, two
public/private key pairs for use in public key encryption and digital signing
-- Key Exchange and Digital Signature.
To list all key containers in a CSP:
Expand the branch having the CSP name, and if algorithms are
supported, an item "Key Containers" under the branch should be displayed.
Expand the "Key Containers" branch, and all key containers in
the CSP are displayed. NOTE: When eSecurityConsole is launched,
only the key containers that are accessible to the logon user are displayed.
To display key containers that are accessible to the local
machine, select the menu item View, then scroll down and select the item Machine
Key Sets. This operation may take a while in enumerating all
the key containers from the machine.
NOTE: The eSecurityConsole does not add or install
additional CSP to the system.
