CAST Component

Properties   Methods   Events   Config Settings   Errors  

Encrypt and decrypt data with the CAST-128/CAST5 block cipher.

Syntax

nsoftware.IPWorksEncrypt.CAST

Remarks

The CAST component is used to encrypt and decrypt data with the CAST-128/CAST5 block cipher.

To begin simply specify the data you wish to encrypt or decrypt.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found, the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams, you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

Before encrypting you must have a valid Key and IV. There are a few options available to you in regards to key management. The easiest option is to simply set KeyPassword. When KeyPassword is set the component will automatically create a Key and IV using the PKCS5 password digest algorithm. This means there is only one value you need to keep track of.

If you wish to have more control over the Key and IV values you may specify the properties yourself. If IV is left empty, one will be created for you when you call Encrypt or Decrypt.

A simple example: Component.InputFile = "C:\MyFile.txt"; Component.OutputFile = "C:\Encrypted.txt"; Component.KeyPassword = "password"; Component.Encrypt();

Property List

The following is the full list of the properties of the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

CipherModeThe cipher mode of operation.
InputFileThe file to process.
InputMessageThe message to process.
IVThe initialization vector (IV).
KeyThe secret key for the symmetric algorithm.
KeyPasswordA password to generate the Key and IV .
OutputFileThe output file when encrypting or decrypting.
OutputMessageThe output message after processing.
OverwriteIndicates whether or not the component should overwrite files.
PaddingModeThe padding mode.
UseHexWhether input or output is hex encoded.

Method List

The following is the full list of the methods of the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

ConfigSets or retrieves a configuration setting.
DecryptDecrypts the data.
DecryptBlockDecrypts a block and returns the decrypted data.
EncryptEncrypts the data.
EncryptBlockEncrypts data and returns the encrypted block.
ResetResets the component.
SetInputStreamSets the stream from which the component will read data to encrypt or decrypt.
SetOutputStreamSets the stream to which the component will write encrypted or decrypted data.

Event List

The following is the full list of the events fired by the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

ErrorFired when information is available about errors during data delivery.
ProgressFired as progress is made.

Config Settings

The following is a list of config settings for the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

BlockSizeThe block size, in bits, of the cryptographic operation.
CloseInputStreamAfterProcessingDetermines whether or not the input stream is closed after processing.
CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessingDetermines whether or not the output stream is closed after processing.
EncryptedDataEncodingThe encoding of the encrypted input or output data.
IncludeIVWhether to prepend the IV to the output data and read the IV from the input data.
KeyPasswordAlgorithmThe hash algorithm used to derive the Key and IV from the KeyPassword property.
KeyPasswordIterationsThe number of iterations performed when using KeyPassword to derive the Key and IV.
KeyPasswordSaltThe salt value used in conjunction with the KeyPassword to derive the Key and IV.
KeySizeThe size, in bits, of secret key for the symmetric algorithm.
BuildInfoInformation about the product's build.
GUIAvailableWhether or not a message loop is available for processing events.
LicenseInfoInformation about the current license.
MaskSensitiveDataWhether sensitive data is masked in log messages.
UseFIPSCompliantAPITells the component whether or not to use FIPS certified APIs.
UseInternalSecurityAPIWhether or not to use the system security libraries or an internal implementation.

CipherMode Property (CAST Component)

The cipher mode of operation.

Syntax

public CASTCipherModes CipherMode { get; set; }

enum CASTCipherModes {
  cmCBC,
  cmECB,
  cmOFB,
  cmCFB,
  cmCTS,
  cm8OFB,
  cm8CFB
}

Public Property CipherMode As CastCipherModes

Enum CASTCipherModes
  cmCBC
  cmECB
  cmOFB
  cmCFB
  cmCTS
  cm8OFB
  cm8CFB
End Enum

Default Value

0

Remarks

The cipher mode of operation.

Possible values are:

0 (cmCBC - default) The Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) is a mode of operation for a block cipher, one in which a sequence of bits is encrypted as a single unit or block with a cipher key applied to the entire block.
1 (cmECB) The Electronic Codebook (ECB) mode encrypts each block separately. Important: It is not recommend to use this model when encrypting more than one block because it may introduce security risks.
2 (cmOFB) The Output Feedback (n-bit, NOFB) mode makes a block cipher into a synchronous stream cipher. It has some similarities to CFB mode in that it permits encryption of differing block sizes, but has the key difference that the output of the encryption block function is the feedback (instead of the ciphertext).
3 (cmCFB) The Cipher Feedback (CFB) mode processes a small amount of incremental text into ciphertext, rather than processing a whole block at one time.
4 (cmCTS) The Cipher Text Stealing (CTS) mode handles any length of plain text and produces cipher text whose length matches the plain text length. This mode behaves like the CBC mode for all but the last two blocks of the plain text.
5 (cm8OFB) 8-bit Output Feedback (OFB) cipher mode.
7 (cm8CFB) 8-bit Cipher Feedback (CFB) cipher mode.

InputFile Property (CAST Component)

The file to process.

Syntax

public string InputFile { get; set; }

Public Property InputFile As String

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies the file to be processed. Set this property to the full or relative path to the file which will be processed.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found, the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams, you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

InputMessage Property (CAST Component)

The message to process.

Syntax

public string InputMessage { get; set; }
public byte[] InputMessageB { get; set; }

Public Property InputMessage As String
Public Property InputMessageB As Byte()

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies the message to be processed.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found, the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams, you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

IV Property (CAST Component)

The initialization vector (IV).

Syntax

public string IV { get; set; }
public byte[] IVB { get; set; }

Public Property IV As String
Public Property IVB As Byte()

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies the initialization vector (IV). By default this property is empty and the component will automatically generate a new IV value if KeyPassword or Key is set before Encrypt or EncryptBlock is called. The size of the IV property must be equal to the BlockSize divided by 8.

Key Property (CAST Component)

The secret key for the symmetric algorithm.

Syntax

public string Key { get; set; }
public byte[] KeyB { get; set; }

Public Property Key As String
Public Property KeyB As Byte()

Default Value

""

Remarks

This secret key is used both for encryption and decryption. The secret key should be known only to the sender and the receiver. The legal key size varies depending on the algorithm.

If this property is left empty and KeyPassword is specified, a Key value will be generated by the component as necessary.

Legal Key and Block Sizes (in bits)

AES Rijndael CAST DES IDEA RC2 RC4 TripleDES Blowfish Twofish TEA
Minimum Key Size 128 128 112 64 128 112 112 128 112 128 128
Maximum Key Size 256 256 128 64 128 128 2048 192 448 256 128
Key Size Step 64 64 8 0 0 8 8 64 1 8 0
Block Size 128 128/192/256 64 64 64 64 N/A 64 64 128 64*

Note: When using TEA if Algorithm is set to XXTEA valid block sizes are 64 + n * 32. Where n is any positive integer.

The default KeySize is the Maximum Key Size.

KeyPassword Property (CAST Component)

A password to generate the Key and IV .

Syntax

public string KeyPassword { get; set; }

Public Property KeyPassword As String

Default Value

""

Remarks

When this property is set the component will calculate values for Key and IV using the PKCS5 password digest algorithm. This provides a simpler alternative to creating and managing Key and IV values directly.

The size of the Key generated is dependent on the value of KeySize.

OutputFile Property (CAST Component)

The output file when encrypting or decrypting.

Syntax

public string OutputFile { get; set; }

Public Property OutputFile As String

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies the file to which the output will be written when Encrypt or Decrypt is called. This may be set to an absolute or relative path.

This property is only applicable to Encrypt and Decrypt.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found, the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams, you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

OutputMessage Property (CAST Component)

The output message after processing.

Syntax

public string OutputMessage { get; }
public byte[] OutputMessageB { get; }

Public ReadOnly Property OutputMessage As String
Public ReadOnly Property OutputMessageB As Byte()

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property will be populated with the output from the operation if OutputFile and SetOutputStream are not set.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found, the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams, you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Overwrite Property (CAST Component)

Indicates whether or not the component should overwrite files.

Syntax

public bool Overwrite { get; set; }

Public Property Overwrite As Boolean

Default Value

False

Remarks

This property indicates whether or not the component will overwrite OutputFile. If Overwrite is False, an error will be thrown whenever OutputFile exists before an operation. The default value is False.

PaddingMode Property (CAST Component)

The padding mode.

Syntax

public CASTPaddingModes PaddingMode { get; set; }

enum CASTPaddingModes {
  pmPKCS7,
  pmZeros,
  pmNone,
  pmANSIX923,
  pmISO10126
}

Public Property PaddingMode As CastPaddingModes

Enum CASTPaddingModes
  pmPKCS7
  pmZeros
  pmNone
  pmANSIX923
  pmISO10126
End Enum

Default Value

0

Remarks

PaddingMode is used to pad the final input block to guarantee that it is the correct size required for the selected CipherMode. If the input size is a multiple of the cipher's BlockSize, an extra block of padding will be appended to the input. This enables the decrypting agent to know with certainty how many bytes of padding are included. Each mode pads the data differently. Possible values are:

0 (pmPKCS7 - default) The data is padded with a series of bytes that are each equal to the number of bytes used. For instance, in the example below the data must be padded with 3 additional bytes, so each byte value will be 3.

Raw Data: AA AA AA AA AA

PKCS7 Padded Data: AA AA AA AA AA 03 03 03

1 (pmZeros) The data is padded with null bytes.
2 (pmNone) No padding will be performed.
3 (pmANSIX923) The ANSIX923 padding string consists of a sequence of bytes filled with zeros before the length. For instance, in the example below the data must be padded with 3 additional bytes, so last byte value will be 3.

Raw Data: AA AA AA AA AA

ANSIX923 padding Data: AA AA AA AA AA 00 00 03

4 (pmISO10126) The ISO10126 padding string consists of random data before the length. For instance, in the example below the data must be padded with 3 additional bytes, so last byte value will be 3.

Raw Data: AA AA AA AA AA

ISO10126 padding Data: AA AA AA AA AA F8 EF 03

When calling Decrypt the PaddingMode must match the value used when the data was encrypted.

Note: When using a value of 2 (pmNone), unless the length of input is an exact multiple of the cipher's input BlockSize, the final block of plaintext may be lost.

UseHex Property (CAST Component)

Whether input or output is hex encoded.

Syntax

public bool UseHex { get; set; }

Public Property UseHex As Boolean

Default Value

False

Remarks

This property specifies whether the encrypted data is hex encoded.

If set to True, when Encrypt is called the component will perform the encryption as normal and then hex encode the output. OutputMessage or OutputFile will hold hex encoded data.

If set to True, when Decrypt is called the component will expect InputMessage or InputFile to hold hex encoded data. The component will then hex decode the data and perform decryption as normal.

Config Method (CAST Component)

Sets or retrieves a configuration setting.

Syntax

public string Config(string configurationString);

Async Version
public async Task<string> Config(string configurationString);
public async Task<string> Config(string configurationString, CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Function Config(ByVal ConfigurationString As String) As String

Async Version
Public Function Config(ByVal ConfigurationString As String) As Task(Of String)
Public Function Config(ByVal ConfigurationString As String, cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task(Of String)

Remarks

Config is a generic method available in every component. It is used to set and retrieve configuration settings for the component.

These settings are similar in functionality to properties, but they are rarely used. In order to avoid "polluting" the property namespace of the component, access to these internal properties is provided through the Config method.

To set a configuration setting named PROPERTY, you must call Config("PROPERTY=VALUE"), where VALUE is the value of the setting expressed as a string. For boolean values, use the strings "True", "False", "0", "1", "Yes", or "No" (case does not matter).

To read (query) the value of a configuration setting, you must call Config("PROPERTY"). The value will be returned as a string.

Decrypt Method (CAST Component)

Decrypts the data.

Syntax

public void Decrypt();

Async Version
public async Task Decrypt();
public async Task Decrypt(CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub Decrypt()

Async Version
Public Sub Decrypt() As Task
Public Sub Decrypt(cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

This method will decrypt the specified data. The following properties are applicable:

Note that CipherMode must be set to the same value used during encryption or the results may be unexpected. If the CipherMode value does not match the value used during encryption the operation may succeed but the decrypted data may not be correct.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found, the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams, you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

DecryptBlock Method (CAST Component)

Decrypts a block and returns the decrypted data.

Syntax

public byte[] DecryptBlock(byte[] inputBuffer, bool lastBlock);

Async Version
public async Task<byte[]> DecryptBlock(byte[] inputBuffer, bool lastBlock);
public async Task<byte[]> DecryptBlock(byte[] inputBuffer, bool lastBlock, CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Function DecryptBlock(ByVal InputBuffer As String, ByVal LastBlock As Boolean) As String

Async Version
Public Function DecryptBlock(ByVal InputBuffer As String, ByVal LastBlock As Boolean) As Task(Of String)
Public Function DecryptBlock(ByVal InputBuffer As String, ByVal LastBlock As Boolean, cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task(Of String)

Remarks

This method will decrypt the specified block and return the decrypted data.

InputBuffer specifies the encrypted block to decrypt.

LastBlock indicates whether the block is the last block.

Encrypt Method (CAST Component)

Encrypts the data.

Syntax

public void Encrypt();

Async Version
public async Task Encrypt();
public async Task Encrypt(CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub Encrypt()

Async Version
Public Sub Encrypt() As Task
Public Sub Encrypt(cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

This method will encrypt the specified data. The following properties are applicable:

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found, the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams, you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

EncryptBlock Method (CAST Component)

Encrypts data and returns the encrypted block.

Syntax

public byte[] EncryptBlock(byte[] inputBuffer, bool lastBlock);

Async Version
public async Task<byte[]> EncryptBlock(byte[] inputBuffer, bool lastBlock);
public async Task<byte[]> EncryptBlock(byte[] inputBuffer, bool lastBlock, CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Function EncryptBlock(ByVal InputBuffer As String, ByVal LastBlock As Boolean) As String

Async Version
Public Function EncryptBlock(ByVal InputBuffer As String, ByVal LastBlock As Boolean) As Task(Of String)
Public Function EncryptBlock(ByVal InputBuffer As String, ByVal LastBlock As Boolean, cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task(Of String)

Remarks

This method will encrypt the input data and return the encrypted block.

InputBuffer specifies the input data to encrypt.

LastBlock specifies whether the block is the last block.

Reset Method (CAST Component)

Resets the component.

Syntax

public void Reset();

Async Version
public async Task Reset();
public async Task Reset(CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub Reset()

Async Version
Public Sub Reset() As Task
Public Sub Reset(cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

When called, the component will reset all of its properties to their default values.

SetInputStream Method (CAST Component)

Sets the stream from which the component will read data to encrypt or decrypt.

Syntax

public void SetInputStream(System.IO.Stream inputStream);

Async Version
public async Task SetInputStream(System.IO.Stream inputStream);
public async Task SetInputStream(System.IO.Stream inputStream, CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub SetInputStream(ByVal InputStream As System.IO.Stream)

Async Version
Public Sub SetInputStream(ByVal InputStream As System.IO.Stream) As Task
Public Sub SetInputStream(ByVal InputStream As System.IO.Stream, cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

This method sets the stream from which the component will read data to encrypt or decrypt.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found, the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams, you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

SetOutputStream Method (CAST Component)

Sets the stream to which the component will write encrypted or decrypted data.

Syntax

public void SetOutputStream(System.IO.Stream outputStream);

Async Version
public async Task SetOutputStream(System.IO.Stream outputStream);
public async Task SetOutputStream(System.IO.Stream outputStream, CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub SetOutputStream(ByVal OutputStream As System.IO.Stream)

Async Version
Public Sub SetOutputStream(ByVal OutputStream As System.IO.Stream) As Task
Public Sub SetOutputStream(ByVal OutputStream As System.IO.Stream, cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

This method sets the stream to which the component will write encrypted or decrypted data.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found, the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

  • SetOutputStream
  • OutputFile
  • OutputMessage: The output data is written to this property if no other destination is specified.

When using streams, you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

Error Event (CAST Component)

Fired when information is available about errors during data delivery.

Syntax

public event OnErrorHandler OnError;

public delegate void OnErrorHandler(object sender, CASTErrorEventArgs e);

public class CASTErrorEventArgs : EventArgs {
  public int ErrorCode { get; }
  public string Description { get; }
}

Public Event OnError As OnErrorHandler

Public Delegate Sub OnErrorHandler(sender As Object, e As CASTErrorEventArgs)

Public Class CASTErrorEventArgs Inherits EventArgs
  Public ReadOnly Property ErrorCode As Integer
  Public ReadOnly Property Description As String
End Class

Remarks

The Error event is fired in case of exceptional conditions during message processing. Normally the component throws an exception.

The ErrorCode parameter contains an error code, and the Description parameter contains a textual description of the error. For a list of valid error codes and their descriptions, please refer to the Error Codes section.

Progress Event (CAST Component)

Fired as progress is made.

Syntax

public event OnProgressHandler OnProgress;

public delegate void OnProgressHandler(object sender, CASTProgressEventArgs e);

public class CASTProgressEventArgs : EventArgs {
  public long BytesProcessed { get; }
  public int PercentProcessed { get; }
}

Public Event OnProgress As OnProgressHandler

Public Delegate Sub OnProgressHandler(sender As Object, e As CASTProgressEventArgs)

Public Class CASTProgressEventArgs Inherits EventArgs
  Public ReadOnly Property BytesProcessed As Long
  Public ReadOnly Property PercentProcessed As Integer
End Class

Remarks

This event is fired automatically as data is processed by the component.

The PercentProcessed parameter indicates the current status of the operation.

The BytesProcessed parameter holds the total number of bytes processed so far.

Config Settings (CAST Component)

The component accepts one or more of the following configuration settings. Configuration settings are similar in functionality to properties, but they are rarely used. In order to avoid "polluting" the property namespace of the component, access to these internal properties is provided through the Config method.

CAST Config Settings

BlockSize:   The block size, in bits, of the cryptographic operation.

The block size is a basic data unit in the operation of encrypt or decrypt. Messages longer than the block size are seen as successive blocks. If the message is shorter than the block size, the message will be padded with extra bits to reach the block size according to PaddingMode. Different symmetric algorithm has different valid block sizes.

The following algorithms have a fixed block size: AES, CAST, DES, IDEA, RC2, TripleDES, Blowfish, and Twofish.

CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing:   Determines whether or not the input stream is closed after processing.

Determines whether or not the input stream set by SetInputStream is closed after processing is complete. The default value is True.

CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing:   Determines whether or not the output stream is closed after processing.

Determines whether or not the output stream set by SetOutputStream is closed after processing is complete. The default value is True.

EncryptedDataEncoding:   The encoding of the encrypted input or output data.

This configuration setting specifies how the encrypted data is encoded (if at all).

When Encrypt is called the component will perform the encryption as normal and then encode the output as specified here. OutputMessage or OutputFile will hold the encoded data.

When Decrypt is called the component will expect InputMessage or InputFile to hold the encoded data as specified here. The component will then decode the data and perform decryption as normal.

Possible values are:

  • 0 (none - default)
  • 1 (Base64)
  • 2 (Hex)
  • 3 (Base64URL)

IncludeIV:   Whether to prepend the IV to the output data and read the IV from the input data.

If this config is true, the IV will be automatically prepended to the output data when calling Encrypt. When calling Decrypt and this setting is True, the IV is automatically extracted form the ciphertext. The default value is False.

KeyPasswordAlgorithm:   The hash algorithm used to derive the Key and IV from the KeyPassword property.

This configuration setting specifies which hash algorithm will be used when deriving the Key and IV from KeyPassword. The default value is "MD5". Possible values are:

  • "SHA1"
  • "MD2"
  • "MD5" (default)
  • "HMAC-SHA1"
  • "HMAC-SHA224"
  • "HMAC-SHA256"
  • "HMAC-SHA384"
  • "HMAC-SHA512"
  • "HMAC-MD5"
  • "HMAC-RIPEMD160"

When using any HMAC algorithm the PBKDF#2 method from RFC 2898 is used. Any other algorithm uses PBKDF#1 from the same RFC.

KeyPasswordIterations:   The number of iterations performed when using KeyPassword to derive the Key and IV.

This configuration setting specifies the number of iterations performed when using KeyPassword to calculate values for Key and IV. When using PBKDF#2 the default number of iterations is 10,000. When using PBKDF#1 the default number is 10.

KeyPasswordSalt:   The salt value used in conjunction with the KeyPassword to derive the Key and IV.

This configuration setting specifies the hex encoded salt value to be used along with the KeyPassword when calculating values for Key and IV.

KeySize:   The size, in bits, of secret key for the symmetric algorithm.

The legal key sizes vary depending on the algorithm. The KeySize and BlockSize configuration settings may be set to specify the key and block size (in bits).

This setting is only applicable when KeyPassword is specified.

Note that when using the EzCrypt component, KeySize should be set after setting the Algorithm property.

Base Config Settings

BuildInfo:   Information about the product's build.

When queried, this setting will return a string containing information about the product's build.

GUIAvailable:   Whether or not a message loop is available for processing events.

In a GUI-based application, long-running blocking operations may cause the application to stop responding to input until the operation returns. The component will attempt to discover whether or not the application has a message loop and, if one is discovered, it will process events in that message loop during any such blocking operation.

In some non-GUI applications, an invalid message loop may be discovered that will result in errant behavior. In these cases, setting GUIAvailable to false will ensure that the component does not attempt to process external events.

LicenseInfo:   Information about the current license.

When queried, this setting will return a string containing information about the license this instance of a component is using. It will return the following information:

  • Product: The product the license is for.
  • Product Key: The key the license was generated from.
  • License Source: Where the license was found (e.g., RuntimeLicense, License File).
  • License Type: The type of license installed (e.g., Royalty Free, Single Server).
  • Last Valid Build: The last valid build number for which the license will work.
MaskSensitiveData:   Whether sensitive data is masked in log messages.

In certain circumstances it may be beneficial to mask sensitive data, like passwords, in log messages. Set this to true to mask sensitive data. The default is true.

This setting only works on these components: AS3Receiver, AS3Sender, Atom, Client(3DS), FTP, FTPServer, IMAP, OFTPClient, SSHClient, SCP, Server(3DS), Sexec, SFTP, SFTPServer, SSHServer, TCPClient, TCPServer.

UseFIPSCompliantAPI:   Tells the component whether or not to use FIPS certified APIs.

When set to true, the component will utilize the underlying operating system's certified APIs. Java editions, regardless of OS, utilize Bouncy Castle Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), while all other Windows editions make use of Microsoft security libraries.

FIPS mode can be enabled by setting the UseFIPSCompliantAPI configuration setting to true. This is a static setting that applies to all instances of all components of the toolkit within the process. It is recommended to enable or disable this setting once before the component has been used to establish a connection. Enabling FIPS while an instance of the component is active and connected may result in unexpected behavior.

For more details, please see the FIPS 140-2 Compliance article.

Note: This setting is applicable only on Windows.

Note: Enabling FIPS compliance requires a special license; please contact sales@nsoftware.com for details.

UseInternalSecurityAPI:   Whether or not to use the system security libraries or an internal implementation.

When set to false, the component will use the system security libraries by default to perform cryptographic functions where applicable. In this case, calls to unmanaged code will be made. In certain environments, this is not desirable. To use a completely managed security implementation, set this setting to true.

Setting this configuration setting to true tells the component to use the internal implementation instead of using the system security libraries.

On Windows, this setting is set to false by default. On Linux/macOS, this setting is set to true by default.

If using the .NET Standard Library, this setting will be true on all platforms. The .NET Standard library does not support using the system security libraries.

Note: This setting is static. The value set is applicable to all components used in the application.

When this value is set, the product's system dynamic link library (DLL) is no longer required as a reference, as all unmanaged code is stored in that file.

Trappable Errors (CAST Component)

CAST Errors

101   Unsupported algorithm.
102   No Key specified.
103   No IV specified.
104   Cannot read or write file.
107   Block size is not valid for this algorithm.
108   Key size is not valid for this algorithm.
111   OutputFile already exists and Overwrite is False.
121   The specified key is invalid.
123   IV size is not valid for this algorithm.
304   Cannot write file.
305   Cannot read file.
306   Cannot create file.
2004   Invalid padding. This may be an indication that the key is incorrect.