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Microsoft CryptoAPI
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<p>The Microsoft Windows platform specific Cryptographic Application Programming Interface (also known variously as CryptoAPI, Microsoft Cryptography API, MS-CAPI or simply CAPI) is an <a href="/facts/Application_programming_interface/GMlN4vUr">application programming interface</a> included with <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a> <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating systems</a> that provides services to enable developers to secure Windows-based applications using <a href="/facts/Cryptography/e94PEVau">cryptography</a>. It is a set of <a href="/facts/Dynamic-link_library/vySyC1dz">dynamically linked libraries</a> that provides an <a href="/facts/Abstraction_layer/EV8c84SY">abstraction layer</a> which isolates programmers from the code used to encrypt the data. The Crypto API was first introduced in <a href="/facts/Windows_NT_4.0/EcKYxrkx">Windows NT 4.0</a> and enhanced in subsequent versions. </p><p>CryptoAPI supports both <a href="/facts/Public-key_cryptography/gowoFTxS">public-key</a> and <a href="/facts/Symmetric_key_algorithm/5zfe0b76">symmetric key</a> cryptography, though persistent symmetric keys are not supported. It includes functionality for encrypting and decrypting data and for <a href="/facts/Authentication/64y4S69b">authentication</a> using <a href="/facts/Digital_certificate/J7aYI4Bx">digital certificates</a>. It also includes a <a href="/facts/Cryptographically_secure_pseudorandom_number_generator/Kew9SdpN">cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator</a> function <a href="/facts/CryptGenRandom/P0gYx6kE">CryptGenRandom</a>. </p><p>CryptoAPI works with a number of CSPs (<a href="/facts/Cryptographic_Service_Provider/fG9zbBrT">Cryptographic Service Providers</a>) installed on the machine. CSPs are the modules that do the actual work of encoding and decoding data by performing the cryptographic functions. Vendors of <a href="/facts/Hardware_security_module/dhpo8qoR">HSMs</a> may supply a CSP which works with their hardware. </p>