NEWBIE Question: Encrypting a file via an application

From: Mike D. (mike.dailey_at_mtdproducts.com)
Date: 01/08/04 

Date: 8 Jan 2004 09:00:05 -0800

Hello.

This is a newbie question, so please bare with me.

I am writing a linux application that stores application
configuration/data in files that I wish to encrypt. The problem is
that I'm not quite sure how to encrypt these files.

I am familiar with AES, 3DES, and other encryption routines, and I do
use these in my code. The problem is that in order for the
application to encrypt the data files with--lets say for example--AES,
it needs some type of key to unencrypt these files for use later.

The question is: what key do I use? I can't have the application
create a random key, because it would need to be stored unecrypted for
use later. I can't code a key into my application, because anyone
with a hex editor could retrieve it. The key can't be something
someone has to type in, since the application will be running as a
service/daemon, and will need to encrypt/decrypt files on the fly and
automatically.

So my question is basically this: what is the preferred way of doing
this type of encryption? How do applications come up with unique
keys, and then store them safely to be used to unencrypt files?

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