/// <summary>
        /// Calculates a user-authentication key using the specified token and password
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="authToken">The token to calculate the authentication key</param>
        /// <param name="password">The password for calculating the authentication key</param>
        /// <returns>Returns a user authentication key based on the specified token and password</returns>
        protected static string calculateUserAuthKey(string authToken, SecureString password)
        {
            //get the salt as bytes from the token
            byte[] salt = authToken.GetBytesBase64();

            //check if salt ans password have valid values
            if (salt == null || password.IsNullOrEmpty())
            {
                return "";
            }
            //calculate key
            else
            {
                return getSaltedHashString(password.Unwrap(), salt);
            }
        }