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ProtectedMemory.Protect Method

Protects the specified data.

Namespace:  System.Security.Cryptography
Assembly:  System.Security (in System.Security.dll)

'Declaration
Public Shared Sub Protect ( _
	userData As Byte(), _
	scope As MemoryProtectionScope _
)

Parameters

userData
Type: System.Byte()
The byte array containing data in memory to protect. The array must be a multiple of 16 bytes.
scope
Type: System.Security.Cryptography.MemoryProtectionScope
One of the enumeration values that specifies the scope of memory protection.

ExceptionCondition
CryptographicException

userData must be 16 bytes in length or in multiples of 16 bytes.

NotSupportedException

The operating system does not support this method. This method can be used only with the Windows 2000 or later operating systems.

ArgumentNullException

userData is Nothing.

This method can be used to protect data in memory. Note that the method does not make a copy of the data, but encrypts the byte array in place. The userData parameter must be 16 bytes in length or a multiple of 16 bytes.

Support for this method is available in the Windows XP and later operating systems.

The following code example shows how to use data protection.


Imports System
Imports System.Security.Cryptography



Public Class MemoryProtectionSample

    Public Shared Sub Main()
        ' Create the original data to be encrypted (The data length should be a multiple of 16).
        Dim secret As Byte() = {1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4}

        ' Encrypt the data in memory. The result is stored in the same same array as the original data.
        ProtectedMemory.Protect(secret, MemoryProtectionScope.SameLogon)

        ' Decrypt the data in memory and store in the original array.
        ProtectedMemory.Unprotect(secret, MemoryProtectionScope.SameLogon)

    End Sub
End Class


.NET Framework

Supported in: 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1

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

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