Web Cryptography
As web applications take on more sensitive roles, ensuring proper security grows increasingly imperative. Frontend code running in browsers presents unique challenges compared to traditional platforms. However, emerging web standards now empower developers with powerful cryptography capabilities directly within JavaScript.
Dubbed Web Cryptography
Dubbed Web Cryptography, this specification provides algorithms for cryptographic operations across ciphers, hashes, signatures and HSMs directly in the browser. Previously, cryptographic needs required third-party libraries or backend processing. Now, keys can be generated and data encrypted locally before transmission to servers.
Two primary APIs power Web Crypto – SubtleCrypto and CryptoKey. SubtleCrypto performs lower-level cryptographic operations like encryption, decryption and signatures. Meanwhile, CryptoKey handles key generation and use according to specified algorithm and usage.
For encrypting communications, WebCrypto enables transport encryption via cipher operations. AES-GCM performs authenticated encryption suitable for encrypting payloads. Additionally, RSA-OAEP allows encrypting symmetric keys for async operations between clients and servers.
Integrity Verification
Hash functions provide integrity verification via irreversible digests. Commonly, SHA-256 hashes authenticate downloads against tampering. Similarly, HMAC signatures coupled with hashes verify message origins and non-repudiation for security-critical events.
A key advantage involves peer-to-peer encryption without servers. WebRTC enables encrypting real-time communications exclusively between browsers using P256 Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman key exchange.
Naturally, proper key management remains critical. WebCrypto supports importing, deriving and wrapping keys from external sources like native key storage. Additionally, CryptographicKey objects bind to key algorithms and purposes, preventing misuse.
While browser support expands, polyfills address current limitations. Fortunately, Web Crypto APIs so closely resemble low-level crypto that porting existing code requires minimal refactoring. Standardization efforts now pursue additional algorithms.
As app complexity grows, proactive security demands modern cryptographic backing. Web Cryptography empowers robust yet accessible frontend protections without plugins or app rewrites. For securing sensitive client-side operations, this emerging web standard represents a powerful new chapter in application security.