RNGCryptoServiceProvider Class
.NET Framework Class Library
RNGCryptoServiceProvider Class

Implements a cryptographic Random Number Generator (RNG) using the implementation provided by the cryptographic service provider (CSP). This class cannot be inherited.

Namespace:  System.Security.Cryptography
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Visual Basic
<ComVisibleAttribute(True)> _
Public NotInheritable Class RNGCryptoServiceProvider _
    Inherits RandomNumberGenerator
C#
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public sealed class RNGCryptoServiceProvider : RandomNumberGenerator
Visual C++
[ComVisibleAttribute(true)]
public ref class RNGCryptoServiceProvider sealed : public RandomNumberGenerator
F#
[<SealedAttribute>]
[<ComVisibleAttribute(true)>]
type RNGCryptoServiceProvider =  
    class
        inherit RandomNumberGenerator
    end

The following code example shows how to create a random number with the RNGCryptoServiceProvider class.

Visual Basic
'The following sample uses the Cryptography class to simulate the roll of a dice.
Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Security.Cryptography



Class RNGCSP

    ' Main method.
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Const totalRolls As Integer = 25000
        Dim results(5) As Integer

        ' Roll the dice 25000 times and display
        ' the results to the console.
        Dim x As Integer
        For x = 0 To totalRolls
            Dim roll As Byte = RollDice(System.Convert.ToByte(results.Length))
            results((roll - 1)) += 1
        Next x
        Dim i As Integer

        While i < results.Length
            Console.WriteLine("{0}: {1} ({2:p1})", i + 1, results(i), System.Convert.ToDouble(results(i)) / System.Convert.ToDouble(totalRolls))
            i += 1
        End While

    End Sub


    ' This method simulates a roll of the dice. The input parameter is the
    ' number of sides of the dice.
    Public Shared Function RollDice(ByVal numberSides As Byte) As Byte
        If numberSides <= 0 Then
            Throw New ArgumentOutOfRangeException("NumSides")
        End If ' Create a new instance of the RNGCryptoServiceProvider.
        Dim rngCsp As New RNGCryptoServiceProvider()
        ' Create a byte array to hold the random value.
        Dim randomNumber(0) As Byte
        Do
            ' Fill the array with a random value.
            rngCsp.GetBytes(randomNumber)
        Loop While Not IsFairRoll(randomNumber(0), numberSides)
        ' Return the random number mod the number
        ' of sides.  The possible values are zero-
        ' based, so we add one.
        Return System.Convert.ToByte(randomNumber(0) Mod numberSides + 1)

    End Function


    Private Shared Function IsFairRoll(ByVal roll As Byte, ByVal numSides As Byte) As Boolean
        ' There are MaxValue / numSides full sets of numbers that can come up
        ' in a single byte.  For instance, if we have a 6 sided die, there are
        ' 42 full sets of 1-6 that come up.  The 43rd set is incomplete.
        Dim fullSetsOfValues As Integer = [Byte].MaxValue / numSides

        ' If the roll is within this range of fair values, then we let it continue.
        ' In the 6 sided die case, a roll between 0 and 251 is allowed.  (We use
        ' < rather than <= since the = portion allows through an extra 0 value).
        ' 252 through 255 would provide an extra 0, 1, 2, 3 so they are not fair
        ' to use.
        Return roll < numSides * fullSetsOfValues

    End Function 'IsFairRoll
End Class
C#
//The following sample uses the Cryptography class to simulate the roll of a dice.

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using System.Security.Cryptography;

class RNGCSP
{
    // Main method.
    public static void Main()
    {
        const int totalRolls = 25000;
        int[] results = new int[6];

        // Roll the dice 25000 times and display
        // the results to the console.
        for (int x = 0; x < totalRolls; x++)
        {
            byte roll = RollDice((byte)results.Length);
            results[roll - 1]++;
        }
        for (int i = 0; i < results.Length; ++i)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("{0}: {1} ({2:p1})", i + 1, results[i], (double)results[i] / (double)totalRolls);
        }
    }

    // This method simulates a roll of the dice. The input parameter is the
    // number of sides of the dice.

    public static byte RollDice(byte numberSides)
    {
        if (numberSides <= 0)
            throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("numberSides");
        // Create a new instance of the RNGCryptoServiceProvider.
        RNGCryptoServiceProvider rngCsp = new RNGCryptoServiceProvider();
        // Create a byte array to hold the random value.
        byte[] randomNumber = new byte[1];
        do
        {
            // Fill the array with a random value.
            rngCsp.GetBytes(randomNumber);
        }
        while (!IsFairRoll(randomNumber[0], numberSides));
        // Return the random number mod the number
        // of sides.  The possible values are zero-
        // based, so we add one.
        return (byte)((randomNumber[0] % numberSides) + 1);
    }

    private static bool IsFairRoll(byte roll, byte numSides)
    {
        // There are MaxValue / numSides full sets of numbers that can come up
        // in a single byte.  For instance, if we have a 6 sided die, there are
        // 42 full sets of 1-6 that come up.  The 43rd set is incomplete.
        int fullSetsOfValues = Byte.MaxValue / numSides;

        // If the roll is within this range of fair values, then we let it continue.
        // In the 6 sided die case, a roll between 0 and 251 is allowed.  (We use
        // < rather than <= since the = portion allows through an extra 0 value).
        // 252 through 255 would provide an extra 0, 1, 2, 3 so they are not fair
        // to use.
        return roll < numSides * fullSetsOfValues;
    }
}
Visual C++
//The following sample uses the Cryptography class to simulate the roll of a dice.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Text;
using namespace System::Security::Cryptography;

ref class RNGCSP
{
public:
    // Main method.
    static void Main()
    {
        const int totalRolls = 25000;
        array<int>^ results = gcnew array<int>(6);

        // Roll the dice 25000 times and display
        // the results to the console.
        for (int x = 0; x < totalRolls; x++)
        {
            Byte roll = RollDice((Byte)results->Length);
            results[roll - 1]++;
        }
        for (int i = 0; i < results->Length; ++i)
        {
            Console::WriteLine("{0}: {1} ({2:p1})", i + 1, results[i], (double)results[i] / (double)totalRolls);
        }
    }

    // This method simulates a roll of the dice. The input parameter is the
    // number of sides of the dice.

    static Byte RollDice(Byte numberSides)
    {
        if (numberSides <= 0)
            throw gcnew ArgumentOutOfRangeException("numberSides");
        // Create a new instance of the RNGCryptoServiceProvider.
        RNGCryptoServiceProvider^ rngCsp = gcnew RNGCryptoServiceProvider();
        // Create a byte array to hold the random value.
        array<Byte>^ randomNumber = gcnew array<Byte>(1);
        do
        {
            // Fill the array with a random value.
            rngCsp->GetBytes(randomNumber);
        }
        while (!IsFairRoll(randomNumber[0], numberSides));
        // Return the random number mod the number
        // of sides.  The possible values are zero-
        // based, so we add one.
        return (Byte)((randomNumber[0] % numberSides) + 1);
    }

private:
    static bool IsFairRoll(Byte roll, Byte numSides)
    {
        // There are MaxValue / numSides full sets of numbers that can come up
        // in a single byte.  For instance, if we have a 6 sided die, there are
        // 42 full sets of 1-6 that come up.  The 43rd set is incomplete.
        int fullSetsOfValues = Byte::MaxValue / numSides;

        // If the roll is within this range of fair values, then we let it continue.
        // In the 6 sided die case, a roll between 0 and 251 is allowed.  (We use
        // < rather than <= since the = portion allows through an extra 0 value).
        // 252 through 255 would provide an extra 0, 1, 2, 3 so they are not fair
        // to use.
        return roll < numSides * fullSetsOfValues;
    }
};

int main()
{
    RNGCSP::Main();
}
System..::.Object
  System.Security.Cryptography..::.RandomNumberGenerator
    System.Security.Cryptography..::.RNGCryptoServiceProvider

This type is thread safe.

Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core Role not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core Role not supported), Windows Server 2003 SP2

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1
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