The vast majority of Windows system objects are secured using Security Descriptors. The .Net framework exposes a few of the most common of these security descriptor types but little else of the Windows security subsystem. But for many advanced system services the ability to interact with this subsystem is essential to their functionality. While there are many scenarios where the use of C or C++ is still essential there is little reason to avoid using .Net for many system level services simply due to the lack of a reasonable interface to some essential operating system service.

AsproLock is a small library, currently in development, that proposes to expose the Windows' security subsystem for the use of the .Net programmer. As of its current version it only supports retrieving and updating the security descriptors of standard OS securable objects. Upcoming additions, leading up to its version 1 release, are: private object security for custom securable objects; account rights assignment; privilege enabling and disabling; token manipulation; and one or two other possibilities that we are still mulling over.