ProtectToolkit C - Cryptographic API
SafeNet Inc. led the industry by pushing PKI security implementation initiatives as early as 1996 utilizing the
now widely used PKCS#11 API on its Hardware Security Modules. The comprehensiveness of SafeNet's PCKS#11
implementation delivers the richest level of functionality available in the market and demonstrates its extensive experience
and expertise in this field.
ProtectToolKit C enables users to:
- Seamlessly integrate Hardware Security Modules - HSMs with the leading software applications of the most important
global and regional software vendors that implement security solutions meeting PKCS#11 standards
- Apply the most comprehensive PKCS#11 implementation on the market to security applications required to meet the
PKCS#11 standard
- Call PKCS#11 cryptographic functions and have these requests passed through the physical and logical security of
an SafeNet's FIPS 140 certified HSM
- Securely generate and store symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic keys within tamper-resistant HSMs
- Speed-up CPU intensive cryptographic operations that typically impede server performance.
- Choose from a variety of HSM form factors (PCI card or external, network-attached modules), performance options,
and PKCS#11 run-time modes.
Seamless out-of-the-box integration of PKCS#11 functionality
As a plug-in crypto provider, ProtectToolKit C seamlessly integrates with the leading software applications of the most
important global and regional software vendors that implement security solutions to PKCS#11 standards. SafeNet
constantly monitors, tests and upgrades its PKCS#11 providers to ensure interoperability, integration and compatibility
with the ever-growing suite of software applications.
Accelerate development of customized applications
ProtectToolKit C provides application developers with the necessary environment and tools that facilitate accelerated
development of, plus integration into, proven and secure PKCS#11 compliant cryptographic services. Best-practice tips
and walk-through tutorials provide invaluable help in quickly mastering the learning curve.
The Software Development Kit (SDK) provides the software libraries, header files and reference documentation required
to compile and link a program that uses the Cryptoki interface. In addition, numerous sample programs with source code
and build instructions assist application development.
HSM software emulation functionality significantly reduces the development system setup time. It enables the initial
development and testing using the software-only variant of ProtectToolKit C. This delays the need to install the HSM
into the development environment until final testing phase, after the application is debugged and fully tested.
Next to the default ANSI ‘C’ API, ProtectToolKit C is also available with a Java PKCS#11 interface by wrapping the
industry standard PKCS#11 interface in a set of comprehensive Java classes.
In addition, the PKCS#11 functionality provided by ProtectToolKit C can be fuly customized as a Functionality Module (FM)
developed with SafeNet's ProtectProcessing Customisation SDK. This also enables the existing PKCS#11
functionality to be patched, i.e. modified by some form or pre- or post-processing.
Enhanced system security and processing performance
ProtectToolKit C enables developers to achieve levels of physical and logical protection to cryptographic keys and
operations that far surpass the protection delivered by software-based cryptographic systems.
PKCS#11 cryptographic services can be performed on the trusted, tamper-protected, physically secure hardware security
environment of an SafeNet's HSM. Not only is much greater security delivered over host-based software systems,
but also increased cryptographic processing performance due to the use of dedicated cryptographic hardware processors
(Digital Cipher Processors).
HSM Platform Options relevant to ProtectToolkit C
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