Further Reading

Most of the Java architecture for cryptography and API-related information presented in this chapter can be found in J2SE v1.4 specification and reference guides. Refer to these guides when in doubt. Authoritative documentation on Java classes and their methods can be found in javadocs of J2SE SDK. The book Java Security by Scott Oaks includes comprehensive information on security-related Java APIs and explains them with simple examples. This is a good book to have if you are developing security software and need to use cryptographic APIs directly.

Look at the book Applied Cryptography by Bruce Schneier for very detailed, almost encyclopedic, information on cryptographic operations, algorithms, protocols, attack vulnerabilities, performance and other related aspects such as patent and politico-legal issues. It's a must have if you plan to write your own provider and implement the cryptographic algorithms.

If you are interested in looking at working code as examples, dive into crypttool source code. It is quite modular and you will have no difficulty identifying relevant portions.