How can I secure my key in C# code?

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Tool : Windows 7 64 bit OS, Visual Studio 2012, Install Shield to create setup.

I have one windows form application. I have used DES algorithm to Encrypt and Decrypt data. For this purpose I have used one Key(Secret key to encryption). How can I secure this key so that no one can get it and not able to decrypt my data.

What I have tried:

I have tried to put this key in registry. But one can easily get this key from registry editor.

Posted 6-Jun-16 20:11pm

Jaimesh.2411

Updated 6-Jun-16 20:48pm

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 7-Jun-16 2:45am

This is simply impossible. Isn't it obvious? DES is a symmetric algorithm, the same key is used for encryption and decryption. Let's say, you deploy encrypted data to some computer. But to be useful, the data should be eventually decrypted and, hence, accessible. So, what's the point?

All encryption models are based on at least one unknown key. The problem is not finding some solution, the real problem is to formulate the problem. You need to learn some encryption basics and explain what exactly you want to achieve. For that purpose, you have to explain the whole scenario. Who has limited access to some data, why, what should be accessible and what not, and so on.

—SA

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OriginalGriff · Answer 1 · 2016-06-06T20:42:00

If your application needs it, then pretty much you can't.
The problem is that if your app needs the key value to decrypt your data, then it needs to be able to read it from somewhere. Which means that any other application can also read it from the same location if it does the same things. No key which is "known" to one application is "secure" from other applications, as even the code that fetches the key can be read and duplicated (particularly in .NET where decompilers are relatively simple). You could obfuscate the code, but that doesn't prevent it completely, just slow down understanding of the code.

The only secure way to provide a key is to have a user type it in each time.
Sorry.

shukla dhaval · Answer 2 · 2016-06-06T20:41:00

Solution 1

You can you RSA with public and private key to protect your data.

you will get more information
RSA Algorithm With C#[^]

Posted 6-Jun-16 20:41pm

shukla dhaval

koolprasad2003 · Answer 3 · 2016-06-06T20:48:00

There are multiple ways to secure your key, but it depends upon how you create your key.
One way to create a dynamic key for encryption and decryption so there is no need to store it anywhere.
e.g. you can pick a HDD serial no and encrypt your key and use same for decryption (In this case you do not need to store it any where, just fetch HDD serial no each time dynamically, or you can use Processor ID instead)
One possibility is to query the database for the encryption key, you can store it in database, it has its own encryption key. see below link
Encrypt a Column of Data[^]

How can I secure my key in C# code?

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