# "Comparing the Usability of Cryptographic APIs"

DevFeed: ["Comparing the Usability of Cryptographic APIs"](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/comparing-the-usability-of-cryptographic-apis-36734.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://shostack.org/blog/comparing-the-usability-of-cryptographic-apis/>)

Author: Adam

Published: 2017-07-20T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Shostack & Friends Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/shostack-friends-blog.md>)

Topics: [Cryptography](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cryptography.md>), [Usability](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/usability.md>), [Programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/programming.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>), [Testing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/testing.md>)

Tags: [apis](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/apis.md>), [code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code.md>), [cryptographic](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cryptographic.md>), [programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/programming.md>), [security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/security.md>), [testing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/testing.md>), [usability](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/usability.md>)

## AI overview

A controlled experiment with 256 Python developers compares five cryptographic APIs on functional correctness, security, and usability. The findings indicate that simplicity can reduce insecure parameter choices, but secure development also requires broad task support, accessible documentation, and secure, easy-to-use examples. About 20% of functionally correct tasks were judged secure by participants when the code was not.

## Source excerpt

[no description provided]