Systems and methods for using private keys in software development that minimizes the risks of the private key being lost or stolen. A strong name consists of the assembly's identity, e.g., its simple text name, version number, and culture information (if provided), plus a public key and a digital signature. It is generated from an assembly file using the corresponding private key. The private/public key pair is persisting in a password-encrypted file using a standard encryption format that can be made available to everyone. The first time any subsystem of the development environment requires use of the private key contained in an encrypted file format, the developer is prompted to provide the password to decrypt the key. The user supplies the password and the public/private key is imported into a non-exportable key container in the local cryptographic store.