Protocols and Examples

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Microsoft Corporation

September 10, 1996

A cryptographic protocol is a combination of the basic cryptographic elements of encryption/decryption, hashing, signature, signature verification, certificate issuance, checking and revocation to accomplish some desired goal.

Examples of these include:

• Key Exchange protocols, where two parties who want to communicate, but don't already have each others' public keys or access to certificates, can exchange keys;
• Secure Channel protocols (such as SSL), where two parties want private, authenticated communications over a public network.

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