Implement data encryption for network-based application, help with OpenSSL

Question

Like in the title, I want to encrypt data, which is sent over network. Because I decided to use TCP and/or SCTP protocols I cannot use SSL/TLS. That's why I want to implement my own solution based on SSL idea. Two peers will exchange symmetric algorithm's key (AES0 using asymmetric algorithm (RSA) first and then continue communication encrypting data using symmetric algorithm.

I develop my application in C++ for Linux. The problem is that I'm new to data encryption, I had only few very general lectures at university about network security... I'll have more about this next year.

So far I figured out, that OpenSSL provides sub-library libcrypto, which has everything I need :) The problem is, that manual pages aren't too helpful, especially for new users like me...

Can you recommend me any book or network resources about OpenSSL and cryptography for programmers?

Answer 1

1. Network security with OpenSSL

2. OpenSSL: Open Source, Transport Layer Security, C (Programming Language), Cryptography, Unix-Like, Solaris (Operating System), Linux, Mac OS X, RSA Security

3. Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C

4. Related stuff

Recommending the first one (O'Reilly).

Answer 2

Because I decided to use TCP and/or SCTP protocols I cannot use SSL/TLS.

This is a non-sequiter. There is nothing stopping you from using TLS (SSL) over TCP or SCTP - in fact TLS is almost always running over TCP.