An Overview of Cryptography in Java, Part 1: Random Numbers and Cryptographic Security Providers
Cryptography in Java was first released in JDK 1.1. It included APIs for digital signatures and message digests (hash), but was limited compared to what the platform offers today. The JDK 1.2 added security APIs that relate to cryptography, and also the Java Cryptography Extension, a separate extension with encryption, key exchange, message digest and authentication. The JCE was released separately in accordance with the United States export laws.
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