How Can I Speed Up Java's SecureRandom Performance?

Improving the Performance of a Slow SecureRandom Generator

Java's SecureRandom class is a reliable source for cryptographically secure random numbers, but its performance can be hindered, particularly when utilizing /dev/random on Linux systems. This delay stems from the process of accumulating sufficient entropy for randomness generation.

Solutions to Enhance Performance

1. Utilizing /dev/urandom:

A solution to the performance issue is to switch to /dev/urandom on Linux, which provides a faster alternative. To enable this, set the following system property:

-Djava.security.egd=file:/dev/urandom

2. Workaround for Java 5 and Later (Java Bug 6202721):

The aforementioned /dev/urandom property doesn't work in Java 5 and higher due to a bug. To address this, use the following property instead:

-Djava.security.egd=file:/dev/./urandom

Additional Considerations:

While /dev/urandom is faster than /dev/random, it's important to note that it's slightly less secure. Therefore, evaluate the security requirements of your application before making a decision.

Uncommon Maths and JDK 6:

The article doesn't mention Uncommon Maths as a solution to this problem. Additionally, the performance issue with SecureRandom has been addressed in subsequent versions of JDK, including JDK 6.

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