Applied cryptography in Java

This paper unveils two facts that are tightly linked: firstly, Internet users require increasingly effective security policies, since there are plenty of scenarios where the introduction of security elements is highly recommended (e.g. integrity and confidentiality requirements in the everyday use of interpersonal communications by e-mail). Secondly, checking the suitability and performance of an object-oriented programming language which considers itself "platform-independent" (as Java from Sun Microsystems claims to be) as the essential tool to implement that level of security is a great challenge. The unsophisticated Java application that is introduced attempts to be the meeting point of these two new technology trends, user security and platform independence. It constitutes an example of a secure application in Java that deploys ciphering and signing features within the Java security model.