Implementation Guide › Changing Communication Encryption Methods › Symmetric Encryption

Symmetric Encryption

CA Access Control uses encryption libraries to implement symmetric (standard) encryption. You can use the following methods to encrypt communication between CA Access Control components:

• Default (proprietary) encryption
• AES128
• AES192
• AES256
• DES
• 3DES

Note: The encryption method named default is not the default CA Access Control encryption method. The default encryption method is AES256.

When you install CA Access Control, the installer stores the encryption libraries in the following directory, where ACInstallDir is the directory in which you installed CA Access Control:

• (Windows) ACInstallDir\bin
• (UNIX) ACInstallDir/lib

On Windows, CA Access Control stores the full path of the encryption library that you use for symmetric encryption in the following configuration setting:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ComputerAssociates\AccessControl\Encryption Package

You use the sechkey utility to change the symmetric encryption key and the symmetric encryption method.

More information:

Change the Symmetric Encryption Key

Change the Symmetric Encryption Method