The Codebreakers : The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet
by David Kahn
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (05 December, 1996)
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Editorial Review

"Few false ideas have more firmly gripped the minds of so many intelligent men than the one that, if they just tried, they could invent a cipher that no one could break," writes David Kahn in this massive (almost 1,200 pages) volume. Most of The Codebreakers focuses on the 20th century, especially World War II. But its reach is long. Kahn traces cryptology's origins to the advent of writing. It seems that as soon as people learned how to record their thoughts, they tried to figure out ways of keeping them hidden. Kahn covers everything from the theory of ciphering to the search for "messages" from outer space. He concludes with a few thoughts about encryption on the Internet. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Comprehensive
The Codebreakers provides an excellent thorough history of cryptography.(Keeping in mind that it was written in the 1960's.)

I tried to read this book straight through.In retrospect that wasn't the best idea.The writing is very dry.I got through it by stopping to work out the cryptographic systems described with pencil and paper.I guess I understand cryptography better but it took lots of paper and time (well that's cryptography for you;).Well actually I started skimming after a month of that so I didn't quite get through it.What I am trying to illustrate is that the writing is very dry.I'm interested in the subject and I had trouble slugging straight through.Be forewarned.

So what to say what to say?If it happened in cryptography before the 60's then its in here, or at least I don't know the subject well enough to notice omissions.If you are into cryptographic history then get your hot little hands on this book.

I recommend this book highly for university libraries (you need it) and maybe for some public libraries (just so someone can get to it with interlibrary loan).The Codebreakers is great as reference material.Anybody writing a paper on cryptography is going to want it if they are doing a good job with writing that paper.If you are the type of person who would benefit from owning such a reference then you already know who you are and you might just own this book already too.

Truly a History
As a historian, with a particular interest in other than "American History", I found this book particularly compelling.I read the Earlier edition at least three times.

Yes, I found that, at times, the text gets bogged down in minutae that may not appeal to a particular reader, but in a volume of this magnitude, with this scope, and this ambition, that is virtually a lock.

What many of the reviewers don't seem to realize that the book was written in the context of the 1960s and that not only the writing, but also events described must be put into context.David Kahn does an excellent job of doing just that.To illustrate, I might simply point out his portrait of Herbert O. Yardley.One only has to read Yardley's "Education of a Poker Player" to understand just how accurate Kahn was in describing Yardley and his role.

Like all history books of a more specialized nature, there is a serious advantage to having enough background information to understand where events, people, and technology fit into the puzzle.

If you are seriously interested in what went on "behind the scenes" in much of the historical events of the 19th and 20th centuries,this book provides information that is an essential part of the puzzle.

Must be the bible of cryptography
Weighty and thorough.
Between this , Simon Singh and Helen Fouche Gaines, one has reason to assume that an extensive introduction to this field of knowledge has been gained. ... Read more

Isbn: 0684831309
Subjects:  1. Cryptography    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    6. History / General   

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography
by SIMON SINGH
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (29 August, 2000)
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Editorial Review

People love secrets. Ever since the first word was written, humans have sent coded messages to each other. In The Code Book, Simon Singh, author of the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, offers a peek into the world of cryptography and codes, from ancient texts through computer encryption. Singh's compelling history is woven through with stories of how codes and ciphers have played a vital role in warfare, politics, and royal intrigue. The major theme of The Code Book is what Singh calls "the ongoing evolutionary battle between codemakers and codebreakers," never more clear than in the chapters devoted to World War II. Cryptography came of age during that conflict, as secret communications became critical to both sides' success.

Confronted with the prospect of defeat, the Allied cryptanalysts had worked night and day to penetrate German ciphers. It would appear that fear was the main driving force, and that adversity is one of the foundations of successful codebreaking.

In the information age, the fear that drives cryptographic improvements is both capitalistic and libertarian--corporations need encryption to ensure that their secrets don't fall into the hands of competitors and regulators, and ordinary people need encryption to keep their everyday communications private in a free society. Similarly, the battles for greater decryption power come from said competitors and governments wary of insurrection.

The Code Book is an excellent primer for those wishing to understand how the human need for privacy has manifested itself through cryptography.Singh's accessible style and clear explanations of complex algorithms cut through the arcane mathematical details without oversimplifying.--Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (207)

Very Interesting History
I thought it got off to a bit of a slow start, but about a quarter of the way through it, it became almost impossible to put down.The history of code makers and code breakers is very well put together with inteesting stories.The details on the methods used to break the Enigma ciphers (finding cycles that allow automated searching for correct wheel alignments independent of the scrambling patch cables) was new to me and fascinating.Good description of quantum techniques (which would be the ultimate win for the code makers side of the "arms race").

incredibly interesting
Simon Singh has a true gift for writing. In the wrong hands the material presented in this book could have been dull. Mr. Singh, however, turns this material into what reads likes a page-turning novel. This book is loaded with fastinating information presented in clearly written manner. If you have even the slightest interest in the subject matter, I promise you that you will love this book. One of the things that makes it great is that it looks as deeply at people as it does at the science and math involved. You will find yourself getting attached to the men and women who were so heavily involved in the developments in this subject matter throughtout history. For a top-notch learning and entertainment experience, go read this book now.

Missing History
I saw a book, Fermat's Enigma, many times at the store. Many times I saw it, and walked right by it - not interested. The best thing I can say about "The Code Book" (by the same author) is that before I even finished it I went back to that store and bought Fermat's Engima, not wanting to risk it being sold out.
The Code Book was that good of a read.

Why? It is because it took a subject I knew almost nothing about, and by time I was done made me feel like an expert.In the process I got a precious insight into many historical events I had read about my whole life but, in some part, I had only a superficial understanding.

For example, in College we studied the execution of Mary Queen of Scotts. Our professor told us that the conspiracy was suspect at best and probably was just the result of a vindictive Elizabeth trying to secure her throne. Really?Mr. Singh explains how the Queen's servants broke a code being sent to the Mary and how she authorized an assassination of Elizabeth.By authorizing the assassination, she justified her own execution.An execution which sounds much more rational then "vindictive."At the end, Mr. Singh describes the great dignity Mary displayed at her death and a particularly pathetic scene as her little dog was searching through Mary's effects for Mary, not realizing that she was dead. I can somehow still hear that little dog barking.

This is but one of many stories in this book from Ancient Greece to Modern Washington where Mr. Singh shows (1) the importance of ciphering (2)and its great effect on world history.I almost felt like the FreeMasons were right, there is history and "history." By reading this book, you get a first hand tour of "history" while, at the same time, learning about the incredible changes in the science of spys.

I only had one criticism, which is quite small.Towards the final chapters the author seems more negative as he discusses the tragic ends to many great minds connected to ciphering.I guess there are few nice ways to say bad things but the tone of the book does change. Still, all in all, this is an excellent book which you should read. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385495323
Subjects:  1. Cryptography    2. Data encryption (Computer science)    3. History    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Linguistics    6. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Science / History   

Code Breaking : A History and Explanation
by RudolphKippenhahn
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (31 October, 2000)
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Reviews (10)

A good general Overview
Although this book has recieved some hard press from the industry, it is considered by many people in the technical community as a very good general introduction to Cryptography that doesn't require the user to be a math savant.I would highly recommend this book to anyone that would like to get their feet wet with Crypto

Finally Something YouDon't Need a PhD to Understand
It is very difficult to find a book on the subject of Cryptology which does not go into great detail about the math, forgoing the necessary context to understanding.I have read many book on the subject and wish I had read this one first, if not early on.

Kippenhahn has accomplished that which others haven't.Providing the historical context based upon a particular crypto advancement.Instead of the entire history of the subject, he provides sections of chapters which focus on some aspect of the history, not for history sake, but to have the reader understand a particular advancement or application of cryptology.

By understanding, I'm talking about providing a lot of visual material.Monalphabetic maps, key tables, turning grilles, Vigenere tables, and others.All of these are very clearly displayed and understandable by any student or adult.He also provides simple "schematics" for cipher machines (switches and lights), which again give you the context to then understand (conceptually) what is behind Enigma machines and the like.

He introduces symmetric and asymmetric systems, such as DES and RSA respectively.First conceptually, then with a bit more detail behind it.His discussion on RSA includes an appendix which explains the math to mere mortals.Actual example keys are derived using two examples.If you're interested in why the math "works" you'll need to refer to another source.This shows the process for creating N, E, and D, the keys which support an RSA keyset.

An introduction to the application of some of the techniques in the book include some theoretical banking examples, and smart cards.

In summary, unless you already have an advanced understanding of the subject matter and math, I strongly encourage you to obtain and enjoy this quite readable 260 page book.You'll finish it fairly quickly and have enough of an understanding of the field to delve deeper if you wish - but won't have to.

A Great Intro to Cryptology
I'm not sure why a previous review written by me on this book showed only one star, but that is an error. This is a 4-star book. Here is my previous review:

Mr. Kippenham has written a thoroughly enjoyable book! I've read a great many books on Cryptology, and while his book won't make you an expert, it gives descriptions and explanations superior to many other "beginner texts". In fact, the explanation of the mathematics involved in RSA encryption is the most lucid and easy to understand that I have yet read. Much of the book is a rehash of some other good crypto books like "Decrypted Secrets" and Beutelspacher's "Cryptology", but at least Kippenham puts it all together in an easy to understand style. For a more comprehensive history while still an enjoyable read, try Simon Singh's "The Code Book", the book that started me on my expensive journey of "collecting" crypto books, and if you're still interested, David Kahn's "The Codebreakers" is the holy grail of Crypto history, but a bit more dry. BEWARE. . .you may get hooked like me! Then the American Cryptogram's Classic Crypto Book Service or Aegean Park Press (both of whom specialize in Crypto books) will be "collecting" some of your money! ... Read more

Isbn: 1585670898
Sales Rank: 237799
Subjects:  1. History - General History    2. History: World    3. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    4. History / General   

Crypto: How the Code Rebels Beat the Government--Saving Privacy in the Digital Age
by StevenLevy
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (04 January, 2001)
list price: $25.95
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Editorial Review

If the National Security Agency (NSA) had wanted to make sure thatstrong encryption would reach the masses, it couldn't have done much better thanto tell the cranky geniuses of the world not to do it. Author Steven Levy,deservedly famous for his enlightening Hackers, tells the story of thecypherpunks, their foes, and their allies in Crypto: How the Code Rebels Beatthe Government. From the determined research of Whitfield Diffie and MartyHellman, in the face of the NSA's decades-old security lock, to the commercialworld's turn-of-the-century embrace of encrypted e-commerce, Levy finds dramaand intellectual challenge everywhere he looks. Although he writes, "Behindevery great cryptographer, it seems, there is a driving pathology," his respectfor the mathematicians and programmers who spearheaded public key encryption asthe solution to Information Age privacy invasion shines throughout. Even thegovernmental bad guys are presented more as hapless control fetishists who lackthe prescience to see the inevitability of strong encryption as more than aconspiracy of evil.

Each cryptological advance that was made outside the confines of the NSA's FortMeade complex was met with increasing legislative and judicial resistance.Levy's storytelling acumen tugs the reader along through mathematical and legalhassles that would stop most narratives in their tracks--his words make even thedepressingly silly Clipper chip fiasco vibrant. Hardcore privacy nerds willvalue Crypto as a review of 30 years of wrangling; those readers withless familiarity with the subject will find it a terrific and well-documentedlaunching pad for further research. From notables like Phil Zimmerman to obscurebut important figures like James Ellis, Crypto dishes the dirt on folkswho know how to keep a secret. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Well-researched account
Light-hearted by nature, Steven Levy gives everything the proper treatment in an often amusing way without being irreverent, and he becomes serious where warranted.

This book presents a balanced perspective from both sides: privacy advocates who do not necessarily trust the government, and government authorities terrified of losing their precious wiretaps and other snooping capabilities. The actions of a few self-righteous, overzealous mavericks on both sides are recounted.

Examples of successful U.S. government eavesdropping are mentioned; for instance, it was monitoring that revealed that the Libyans were the bombers of Pan Am flight 103. There is example after example of how the antiquated, rigid NSA position that "crypto is munitions" stifled the ascendant American software industry in the 1990's by restricting exports, giving foreign competitors the edge, while the rest of the world already had strong crypto anyway! Asinine inconsistencies in the old export restrictions are cited. The players of the NSA, NIST, and Congress are named and events, from assembly bills to telling conversations, are recounted. I think most crypto enthusiasts will find this recap informative. It certainly filled in a lot of gaps for me!

The book does not pretend to be a primer on cryptography. Levy does his usual admirable job of reaching out to the masses with lay explanations and clever analogies, but this being specialized math, it will at times go over the heads of some readers. Levy has a good sense of how far to take a technical explanation before dropping it; he doesn't go around the bend. Historical cryptographic systems recounted in David Kahn's tome "The Codebreakers" are now passé, not just because computers do it faster, but also due to relatively recent mathematical discoveries. The chronology of those discoveries is told along with the human stories behind them --of those who yearned to understand the art of secret writing and came to realize that it boils down to hard adversarial mathematics.

The human story throughout is one of unassuming, unlikely geniuses whose discoveries got no immediate fanfare, rather taking decades to catch on. Today (ironically now that the patents have expired) those discoveries are in use every day by most people using the Internet, a cellular phone, or any other wireless device.

The book is at times dull. To me, the accounts of legislative machinations were slow-going but I don't see how they could be made more interesting.

Jim Bidzos is finally vindicated as a real hero of the crypto revolution (after being portrayed in a bad light in a book on PGP). Diffie/Hellman/Merkle, the Cypherpunks, anonymous remailers, Julf Helsingius and Penet, David Chaum and digital cash protocols, court decisions, the Clipper chip --it's all here.

Did government spooks discover public key crypto first, in secret? The book ends with the interesting and hitherto unknown story of James H. Ellis of the General Communications HQ, the British cousin of the NSA.

An index, a small glossary, and an appendix of references are included. Well done!

I suck at math.
But Levy had me hooked by the first chapter. I could not help but care about the characters he portrayed and their plight against the American government. A hectic pace drags you through the book, knowing that their discovery has to be in time to save all of our privacy. If you can't find yourself caring about that then this is not the book for you.

The highest course I've ever taken is pre-calc and I never use higher math in my daily life. So, I have to attribute my fanaticism to this book on Levy's writing and the power of the story itself. Also, the ideas are so well articulated that even a moron like me can pick up on most of the theory (albeit in a simplistic form).

I would recommend this to any one who has ever fought the establishment or anyone that has ever wanted to.

I hate math!
But Levy had me hooked by the first chapter. I could not help but care about the characters he portrayed and their plight against the American government. A hectic pace drags you through the book, knowing that their discovery has to be in time to save all of our privacy. If you can't find yourself caring about that then this is not the book for you.

The highest course I've ever taken is pre-calc and I never use higher math in my daily life. So, I have to attribute my fanaticism to this book on Levy's writing and the power of the story itself. Also, the ideas are so well articulated that even a moron like me can pick up on most of the theory (albeit in a simplistic form).

I would recommend this to any one who has ever fought the establishment or anyone that has ever wanted to.
... Read more

Isbn: 0670859508
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - General Information    2. Computer security    3. Cryptography    4. Cryptography/Access Control    5. General    6. Internet - Security    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Security    9. Social Aspects    10. Technology    11. Computers / General   

Introduction to Cryptography with Coding Theory
by Wade Trappe, Lawrence C. Washington
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 January, 2002)
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Reviews (2)

An Excellent Book on Cryptography
This book is excellent at explaining very intricate and complex items in a most simple way. The book offers excellent explinations for all modern Cryptographic techniques, as well as going into number and coding theory. This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to study Cryptology.

Solid foundations and useful reference
Knowing very little about cryptography when I started, I found this book taught me the fundamentals of cryptography with useful examples as it walked me through the material.In addition, it was a useful reference for applying this newfound knowledge to the actual practice in use today, especically on the internet.This book is a must-have for anyone needing an understanding of cryptography. ... Read more

Isbn: 0130618144
Sales Rank: 93754
Subjects:  1. Coding Theory    2. Computer Bks - Communications / Networking    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computers    5. Cryptography    6. Cryptography/Access Control    7. Data Transmission Systems - General    8. Networking - General    9. Programming - Systems Analysis & Design    10. Security    11. Computers / Internet / Security   

Elliptic Curves: Number Theory and Cryptography (Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications)
by Lawrence C. Washington
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Hardcover (01 May, 2003)
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Reviews (1)

Excellent
Anyone who writes a book on elliptic curves will never do a bad job, for these objects are so beautiful that it would be a sacrilege to do otherwise. Those who study elliptic curves fall under their spell, not only because of their beauty, but also because of their many applications: the spinning top in mechanics, cryptography, exactly solved models in statistical mechanics, precession of the Mercury perihelion in general relativity, the proof of Fermat's Last (Wiles) Theorem, control theory, and string theory, to name a few. This book is an excellent treatment of ECs and would be good for a graduate student starting out in the field. The author gives many concrete examples of the main theorems, and helpful exercises are found at the end of each chapter.

The author begins the book with two neat problems that motivate well the subject of elliptic curves: the pyramid of cannonballs and the right triangle problem, i.e. which integers can occur as areas of right triangles with integer sides? He then immediately begins the elementary theory of ECs in chapter 2. The treatment is pretty standard, although he proves Pascal's and Pappus's theorems using the associativity of the group operation on ECs, which is not usually done in books on ECs. Also somewhat non-standard this early in the game is the discussion of reduction of ECs modulo various primes, and the subsequent definitions of additive, split multiplicative, and non-split multiplicative reduction.

The study of torsion points is done in chapter 3 with the Weil pairing on the n-torsion of an EC taking center stage. A fairly short chapter, the author delays the proof of the properties of the Weil pairing until chapter 11, where it is done with divisors.

Chapter 4 deals with elliptic curves over finite fields, and is one of the most important in the book from the standpoint of cryptographic applications of ECs. Hasse's theorem, giving the bounds for the group of points on an EC over a finite field, is proven in detail. The Frobenius endomorphism is introduced, and a proof of Schoof's algorithm for computing the number of points on ECs over a finite field is given a detailed treatment. There are many symbolic computational software packages in both the open and commerical realm which will do the counting straightforwardly, and anyone interested in cryptography will need to be familiar with some of these. Supersingular curves in characteristic p are introduced, and the author gives a good discussion of the reason why they are named as such.

The discrete logarithm problem, a topic also very important for cryptographic applications, is discussed in chapter 5. The chapter beings with the index calculus, and, recognizing that it does not apply to general groups, the Pohlig-Hellman, baby step-giant step method, and Pollards rho and lambda methods are discussed in details. The author then shows that for supersingular and "anomalous" curves, that the discrete logarithm problem can be reduced to an easier discrete logarithm problem. Along the way, two important concepts are introduced: the p-adic valuation, and the Tate-Lichtenbaum pairing, the latter of which is related to the Weil pairing, but applies to situations where the Weil pairing does not.

Elliptic curve cryptography is then discussed in chapter 6, and the treatment is fairly thorough. The author shows to what extent the Decision Diffie-Hellman problem can be solved using the Weil pairing. He also shows how to represent a message on an elliptic curve, satisfying early on any reader's curiosity on just how this is done. The El Gamal and ECDSA are compared in terms of their computational efficiency. An EC generalization of RSA is also discussed in some detail, along with a cryptosystem based on the Weil pairing. Chapter 7 then gives other applications of ECs, such as factoring and primality testing.

Chapter 8 marks the beginning of the "heavy artillery" in the theory of ECs, for here the author begins the discussion of elliptic curves over the rational numbers, which can be viewed as an example of Diophantine geometry. The famous Mordell-Weil theorem is proved, and as a sign that one is definitely in the arena of modern mathematics, the proof is given in terms of Galois cohomology, which is an abstraction of the Fermat method of descent. The reader gets a taste of height functions, and via some good examples, gets insight into why the rank of the EC is so difficult to compute. A neat example is given of a nontrivial Shafarevich-Tate group.

I did not read the chapters 9, 10, or 11 on ECs over the complex numbers, complex multiplication, and divisors, so I will omit their review. Chapter 12 introduces the famous zeta functions, and their use in obtaining arithmetic information about an EC. Zeta functions motivate the definition of an L-function of an EC, these being tremendously important in modern developments in the theory of ECs, such as the Swinnerton-Dyer and Birch conjecture, the latter of which is motivated rather nicely in this chapter.

The last chapter of the book is an excellent introduction to the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem. Considering the level of the book, the author captures very well the essential ideas. Readers will be well prepared, after studying more algebraic number theory and the theory of Galois representations (which the author only skims in the book), to tackle the full proof if so desired. ... Read more

Isbn: 1584883650
Sales Rank: 66923
Subjects:  1. Applied    2. Cryptography    3. Curves, Elliptic    4. Geometry - Algebraic    5. Mathematics    6. Number Theory    7. Science/Mathematics   

Making, Breaking Codes: Introduction to Cryptology
by Paul Garrett
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (09 August, 2000)
list price: $78.67 -- our price: $78.67
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Reviews (8)

Great buy!
Other than a few 1st edition errors and too small of an anwer key, the book is definitely worth the money.It has a very down-to-earth style which is great if you're using the book on your own like me.I'm using this book for the Siemman's Westinghouse Scholarship Competition, and I think it is a great book for anyone interested in Cryptology, whether they like math or not.

Actually 4.6
I like the book quite a bit because of the actual down-to-earth language Garrett uses.It is very nice since I'm using it on my own time.There some errors in the book, however.He also selects only about 25% of the questions to anwer in the key.He could show about 50% and give an explanation on how to find the answer.Other than that, there is nothing wrong with the book and those problems shouldn't keep you from buying it.

Excellent book on cryptology
Very good book. His explanation is very clear.
I recommand to anyone who wants to learn cryptology.
I think computer scientist will get the most benefits from
this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0130303690
Sales Rank: 252903
Subjects:  1. Business Writing    2. Coding theory    3. Computer Bks - Utilities    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computer Books: Word Processing    6. Computers    7. Cryptography/Access Control    8. General    9. Security    10. Utilities    11. Computers / Security   

Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C, Second Edition
by BruceSchneier
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (18 October, 1995)
list price: $60.00 -- our price: $37.80
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Editorial Review

Cryptographic techniques have applications far beyond the obvious uses of encoding and decoding information. For Internet developers who need to know about capabilities, such as digital signatures, that depend on cryptographic techniques, there's no better overview than Applied Cryptography, the definitive book on the subject. Bruce Schneier covers general classes of cryptographic protocols and then specific techniques, detailing the inner workings of real-world cryptographic algorithms including the Data Encryption Standard and RSA public-key cryptosystems. The book includes source-code listings and extensive advice on the practical aspects of cryptography implementation, such as the importance of generating truly random numbers and of keeping keys secure. ... Read more

Reviews (91)

The Bible of the Crypto-world
For anyone working or studying the crypto-world (IT Security, Cryptographer, Cryptologists, PKI/PGP/SecureID Technologists, etc.) this is a must read.

For the fascinating world of Cryptography (the practical application of Cryptology) this is an essential textbook that any graduate course of digital security and cryptology should include.It is inteded as a reference book as well as a practical book to have handy for the working professional.

It's no wonder the NSA had asked the author not to publish this book.It leaves the Crypto-world naked to the average viewer/reader.

Excellent Text - Not Too Mathematical
This book provides excellent coverage of the mayor cryptography algorithms.It is a must have (for academic study or implementation), if only for the completeness of coverage and the comprehensive references.The C code provided is adequate, but reasonable programming skills are assumed.The book is not overly mathematical (which many of the other cryptography texts are - this is great for me, as I am more intereseted in practice).There is also good information on assessing / comparing the merits of different algorithms.Great for the practictioner or student taking a first course (it's still not bedtime reading).Mathematicians will look for more ......

Essential reference for any programmer
Over the long term, this is the applied math book that I come back to most often.

The first quarter of the book may come as a surprise. It's not about encryption, it's about secure protocols. This is great stuff. It includes secure key exchange, where you and I can agree on an encryption key in a public conversation, but none of the other listeners know what we agreed on. It includes zero-knowledge proofs, ways of establishing authorization without releasing your identity. It includes lots more, as well. The next brief section discusses different modes for using encryption algorithms, key management, and other logistics.

The third section is what you might have expected: detailed descriptions of many encryption schemes, taking up at least half the book. That includes public key schemes, private key codes, secure hashing algorithms, and all the other details needed for implementing the algorithms. One of the most useful subsections here is a set of pseudorandom number generators. It's not exhaustive, by any means - it omits the Mersenne Twister, for example. Still, it gives a fair set of algorithms, some of which are "cryptographically secure". That means the generator's output strongly resists attempts to find regularities, just the way a truly random sequence would.

The last two chapters give a brief summary of the practice, legalities, and even culture around cryptography.

This won't make you into a crypto professional. Despite its600+ pages, it barely introduces the world of crypto and certainly doesn't release anything from the "closed" world of government agencies. It will, however, give you useful algorithms, a basic background, and an appreciation of just what real crypto is about. That last may be the most important part. Too many people think inventing a good code is like making love: anyone can do it, and they instinctively do it better than most people. Wrong! Real crypto is not for dabblers, and this book gives some sense of what is involved.

The first edition of "Applied Cryptography" was a landmark text, but the second edition is even better. It's so much better that, if you just have the first edition, you really should upgrade to the second, and I've never said that about any other book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0471117099
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer security    4. Cryptography    5. Discrete Mathematics    6. Programming Languages - General    7. Security    8. Security measures    9. Telecommunication    10. Computers / Security    11. Data security & data encryption   

Practical Cryptography
by NielsFerguson, BruceSchneier
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (28 March, 2003)
list price: $50.00 -- our price: $33.00
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Reviews (13)

Must be used with Applied Cryptography
As one other reader pointed out this book can be called Applied Cryptography Light. It is true, it gives you more theory and very little math. I did not like this book by itself since I was interested in actual implementation and i wanted to see full algorithms and math. I did end up buying Applied Cryptography and those 2 books combined provide an excellent reference. I was not able to give more than 3 stars since I did not feel i got any knowledge out of this book to be able to apply it in real life except reading: "Cryptography is hard, you might need to hire an expert..." while I want to become an expert myself one day!

this book has no substance
The authors spend far too much time preaching that cryptography is only a small (albeit important) part of security. This is not a new revelation. Most cryptographers have known this for a long time. In fact, the only cryptographer I know who believed for many years that cryptography was the entire answer, only to later suddenly realize that this was not the case, is Bruce Schneier himself. (Not coincidentally, his change of opinion coincided with the change in direction his company took from cryptography consulting to managed security monitoring.....)

The book has an extremely condescending tone. It can be summarized as follows: "Cryptography is a very complicated and sophisticated task. Therefore, we will not provide you with any meaningful explanations and details, but only a few tidbits to convince the naive reader that we are very smart and experienced. This should convince you not to attempt to learn more about cryptography, but instead hire us as consultants."

The authors may succeed in fooling the novice reader, but they won't fool the experienced cryptographer or security practitioner.

Concrete presentation of a difficult subject
I've read a large number of cryptography books.Very few of them come down to brass tacks.They give you a description of a few algorithms, their strengths and weaknesses, and leave it at that.Either that, or they describe in lovingly complex detail the implementation of a particular protocol, one usually so fraught with options and details that you wonder how, at the end of it, that anybody writes a conforming implementation.

Practical Cryptography does neither of these things.It presents algorithm classes, why they exist, and what the best known algorithms are in each class.It explains how the various strengths and weaknesses of algorithms in each class combine to make a cryptosystem weaker or stronger.Then it goes on to show you how to use that information to build working cryptosystems.

People have complained about the book's seeming schizophrenia.On one hand, the authors are trying to show you how to build a secure cryptosystem.On the other, they're telling you how hopeless a task it is to build one that has no vulnerabilities, even if you're an expert in such things.

This can be annoying, but I more find it refreshing.Writing a secure cryptosystem is very hard.People should be aware that it is hard, and they are likely to make mistakes.It isn't something that should be attempted lightly.The current state of computer security is depressingly abysmal.People should be encouraged, as much as possible, to not contribute to the problem.

I'm not following my own advice, and I am building a new cryptosystem.I have found this book a more valuable resource than any other book on cryptography that I have yet read.Even if you aren't building your own cryptosystem, I think you will find the insights this book has into complexity and design to be useful tools in evaluating other cryptosystems. ... Read more

Isbn: 0471223573
Sales Rank: 13606
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - General Information    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer security    4. Computers    5. Cryptography    6. Internet - General    7. Networking - General    8. Security    9. Computers / Security    10. Data security & data encryption    11. Privacy & data protection   

Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice (3rd Edition)
by William Stallings
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (27 August, 2002)
list price: $81.00 -- our price: $81.00
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Reviews (10)

Excellent
Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice by Stallings is a very good book on crypto.

It is not as detailed as Schneier's Applied Cryptography, but is still a great book.

Meat and Potatoes
This review is for the 3rd edition -
I'm not a cryptographer by any means.I've owned Applied Cryptography(AC) for 4 years.It's been quite helpful but leans farther into theory (not covered in it) than I was willing or able to research at the time.I often found myself needing to refer to other resources over the years.I purchased this book after thumbing through it a few times at the bookstore.I'm not one to run out and spend $80 on a book in haste.After a couple of collective hours in it at the store I bought it with the intention of returning it in the 30 allotted days for a full refund.That date comes tomorrow and I have no intention on returning it.

I would describe it as a self-contained reference.It covers cryptography principles and practices as the title implies.When discussing the algorithms it covers them with roughly the same notation and detail as AC.However, I found the explained examples to be clearer.When I found myself getting lost I took the text's advice and referred to the chapters on mathematics and number theory.Not only did it clear the fog it also bit me with the math bug.Leading me to buy another great book, Prime Obsession (nothing to do with crypto).I should mention that this book is void of code.I didn't find this to be a problem because if I'm not using a crypto lib I usually have to implement the crypto code from scratch.With the knowledge presented in this book I can do it better.FYI: The OpenSSL lib offers a bunch of implemented algorithims.

Surprised that the reviews are posted just to confuse
I am looking at the previous reviews and am really surprised that the book has been published in Aug 2002 (just recently) and the earlier reviews show that they were posted in year 2000 and 2001. It is just confusing the readers because they are not the real reviews. I have not gone through the book, so I don't know how good or bad it is, but at least I know that the reviews are not real. If the reviews are for the earlier editions, then they should be posted under those editions, which anyway have a different ISBN number. Really disappointed.
Unfortunately, I have to put some rating for the book, as in the submission form it is a mandatory field. Hence, I have to put some rating for my submission to go through. I am just putting an average rating, but please ignore my evaluation, as I have not even seen the book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0130914290
Sales Rank: 121895
Subjects:  1. Coding Theory    2. Computer Bks - Other Applications    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer networks    5. Computer security    6. Computers    7. Cryptography/Access Control    8. Data encryption (Computer scie    9. Data encryption (Computer science)    10. Miscellaneous Software    11. Networking - General    12. Programming - Systems Analysis & Design    13. Security    14. Security measures    15. Computers / Internet / Security   

Modern Cryptography: Theory and Practice
by Wenbo Mao
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (25 July, 2003)
list price: $59.99 -- our price: $38.49
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Reviews (11)

It's a College TextBook
It's a pretty good one too, but it's still a college text. The orientation of this book is far more theoretical than practical, complete with abstract mathematical notation that sometimes does more to confuse than to elucidate (although the author, to his credit, includes a glossary of mathematical notation early in the text). Still, the book is complete and up-to-date, covering everything from probability theory and number theory through the latest stuff on PKI, symmetric crypto (including AES), and authentication.

Cryptography is not an easy subject, and this book will take a while to wade through for all but the most mathematically astute readers. Nonetheless, for those wanting a "deep dive" into the theoretical underpinnings of the subject, this is a good book. Security practitioners will likely find Schneier's "Applied Cryptography" an easier, more enjoyable, and equally beneficial read, although it is due for an update.

Good reference, poorly edited
What's great about Mao's book is that so many aspects of cryptography are covered in an approachable manner and with many good examples.
What's not so great about Mao's book is that it is chock full of errors.There are many mathematical typos.But what really kills this book for me are the ridiculous number of English mistakes - on average about two or three per page.Most mistakes are simple grammatical mistakes that can be re-parsed by the reader on the fly.However, there are more serious errors that make it very difficult to understand the meaning of significant passages and concepts.
Given Mao's refreshing conversational style it's a real shame that Prentice Hall couldn't come up with some decent editing.Hopefully a second edition will fix this.

Best of all
Excellent,the best of all modern treatment on this subject,All in one guide.
Not for beginner.Icluded are many new features as ID based,Pairing,Provable security etc.
Nguyen Quoc Nam ... Read more

Isbn: 0130669431
Sales Rank: 144182
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - General Information    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Cryptography/Access Control    5. Security    6. Computers / Internet / Security   

The Design of Rijndael: AES - The Advanced Encryption Standard (Information Security and Cryptography)
by Joan Daemen, Vincent Rijmen
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 February, 2002)
list price: $57.95 -- our price: $41.41
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Reviews (1)

Required if you do anything w/ AES
This book is great, straight from the designers of Rijndael.

you could not find a better book in the subject.

my only gripe is the price, a bit on the high end. ... Read more

Isbn: 3540425802
Sales Rank: 167993
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Communications / Networking    2. Computer Books: Database    3. Computer security    4. Computers    5. Cryptography/Access Control    6. Data encryption (Computer scie    7. Data encryption (Computer science)    8. Passwords    9. Security   

Cryptography: Theory and Practice, Second Edition
by Douglas Stinson
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (27 February, 2002)
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Editorial Review

Douglas R. Stinson's Cryptography: Theory and Practice is a mathematically intensive examination of cryptography, including ciphers, the Data Encryption Standard (DES), public key cryptography, one-way hash functions, and digital signatures. Stinson's explication of "zero-sum proofs"--a process by which one person lets another person know that he or she has a password without actually revealing any information--is especially good.

If you are new to the math behind cryptography but want to tackle it, the author covers all of the required background to understand the real mathematics here. Cryptography includes extensive exercises with each chapter and makes an ideal introduction for any math-literate person willing to get acquainted with this material. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Good book after Schneier's Non-Mathematical Treatment
If you are an engineer trying to learn crypto, maybe get a book on number theory to go with this book. It'd be nice if there were fewer errors and more worked out problems, as well.

Overall a good effort but written by a mathematican so you needa book like Schenier's that explains how to use the tools. Maybe Scheier is the one I'd read first. Then readStinson's to understand how the tools work because Scheier's book is mathematically barren.

Volume I of What May Become the Definitive Work
This book takes a fairly rigorous mathematical approach to cryptography. It is intended for upper level undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics, computer science and engineering. I suspect only the quite mathematically inclined computer science and engineering students will find this book helpful. This is not a Boy Scout how to do secret messages book, but a book that will give the professional the data needed to implement cryptographic software, and the mathematician hints on both code breaking and creating.

This is the second edition of this book which includes:

the latest Federal Information Processing Standards
the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA)
Wiener's attack on low decryption exponent RSA
substitution-permutation networks to introduce block cipher design and analysis concepts,
the Random Oracle model for hash functions, and much more.

Some things included in the first edition have been removed with the promise from the author to do a volume II that will take these sections and expand them and with more material.

Could be a great book .... but it falls short
As other people have pointed out, this is not a mathematics book, and it is not an algorithm (recipies) book. It could be a great book for people that are interested in learning these tools to actually use them, either in a research or product development context (something besides homework). Unfortunately, the number of typos, in key mathematical expressions AND PORTIONS OF THE EXPLANATIONS is staggering. Go to the author's web page and you will find that some chapters, like 4 for example, average more than one typo per page (and some of these 'typos' are full sentences, or math expressions that do not look like anything that is actually printed on the page). If you do not have that errata sheet handy, you will waste a lot of time trying to understand the text, or trying to solve the exercises. If you are trying to learn from this book, without attending a class and without the errata, you will simply give up. It is a real shame because it has all the makings of a great book. ... Read more

Isbn: 1584882069
Subjects:  1. Applied    2. Coding theory    3. Computer Bks - Communications / Networking    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computer Science    6. Computers    7. Cryptography    8. Cryptography/Access Control    9. Discrete Mathematics    10. Discrete Mathematics (Computer Science)    11. Security   

Handbook of Applied Cryptography
by Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. Van Oorschot, Scott A. Vanstone
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (16 October, 1996)
list price: $99.95 -- our price: $87.31
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Reviews (16)

Advanced Crypto for the college mind.
This very detailed work is not for the light hearted. It's an in depth look at the mathmatics behind cryptography. If you're looking for a book to help you program then look for Applied Cryptography by Bruce the crypto king instead. If you're looking for something to help you learn cryptoanalysis and how to break codes then this is the first step.

Fantastic traditional reference
The Chapter 14 - Efficient Implementation - shows several multiple precision algorithms. They are very easy to understand and implement under any microprocessor. It is a very good complement to the book set written by Donald Knuth (The Art of Computer Programming, Volumes 1-3 Boxed Set), another fantastic traditional reference.

A very detailed book, but not for everyone.
This is a fairly strong book on crypto, with heavy detail on the math involved.The upside is that the second chapter is devoted to most of the important mathematical theory you'll need to understand for the rest of the book.The downside?That chapter tries to cover just about the same breadth of information as a semester long course in Number Theory.

If you don't have a ton of mathematical background and are scared of having to take a crash course in number theory, or are looking for a higher level view of things, I'd suggest something more along the lines of Bruce Schneier's 'Applied Cryptography' (ASIN 0471117099). If you have some mathematical background, but want to get into things in detail, this is probably for you.

If you're not sure whether you'll like the book, you should definitely take a look at it. While Amazon currently doesn't have sample pages, if you do a Web Search on "Handbook of Applied Cryptography", you can find Sample Chapters hosted online to give you a good feel for the book's style. ... Read more

Isbn: 0849385237
Sales Rank: 118544
Subjects:  1. Access control    2. Algorithms (Computer Programming)    3. Computer Bks - General Information    4. Computers    5. Cryptography    6. Cryptography/Access Control    7. Discrete Mathematics    8. Handbooks, manuals, etc    9. Reference    10. Security   

A Course in Number Theory and Cryptography (Graduate Texts in Mathematics)
by Neal Koblitz
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (02 September, 1994)
list price: $59.95 -- our price: $51.48
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Reviews (11)

Outstanding presentations
This book is an outstanding introduction to cryptographic techniques and algorithms Although it's labelled as a "graduate text in mathematics", most of it should be accessible to anyone who knows a little linear algebra. For readers just interested in the how-to of the algorithms, not even that is needed. Koblitz does a thorough job of leading up to each algorithm and proving its formal properties. He also presents the algorithms themselves, unencumbered by denser material of interest to mathematicians.

The book covers a variety of topics - public-key encryption, primality testing, factoring, and cryptographic protocols. It introduces zero-knowledge proofs and blind transfer, techniques that offer real hope of personal privacy in a world where data transfer is mandatory. I was a little disappointed by the chapters on elliptic cryptography, however. I hoped that Koblitz would bring is explanatory powers to bear on the algorithms. Somehow, I never quite connected with his descriptions of elliptic curves - perhaps I'm just thick, or perhaps a bit more introductory material would have helped.

The rest of the book is a very fine example of clear, readable math writing. Its clarity its range of topics earn it a place with anyone interested in cryptography, factoring, and prime numbers.

Excellent book for self study
This is an excellent book fot those, who are interested in the theoretical background of cryptography. It was also my first book in number theory, and I had no trouble following most of the text ( except the chapter on Elliptic curves, which -as I realize now- IS difficult)

Highly recommendable! A pleasant surprise is, that there are virtually no typos.

A good tool
I'm using this book for my math undergraduate thesis in integer factorization.The book goes in-depth into some more arcane factorization methods (e.g., Fermat factorization has been deemed too slow by other books on cryptography), but still catches the wave of the newer methods (e.g., elliptic curve).Overall, this book is a good tool which should be used in conjunction with other books on the topic of interest, but certainly should not be used solo. ... Read more

Isbn: 0387942939
Sales Rank: 305131
Subjects:  1. Mathematics    2. Number Theory    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Theory Of Numbers    5. Mathematics / Number Theory   

Algebraic Aspects of Cryptography (Algorithms and Computation in Mathematics, Vol 3)
by Neal Koblitz
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (27 February, 1998)
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Reviews (2)

Excellent, but only if you have extensive knowledge of math
The textbook is intended for students with extensive knowledge of number theory, field theory, and algebraic techniques. It is terse and runs through the material using the definition-lemma-proof-theorem-proof method, with almost no examples. For students without the aforementioned prerequisites, the book is almost impossible to understand.

The book can be great for students with the mathematical prerequisites and with sufficient mathematical maturity to understand elaborate definitions, theorems and proofs and who want to learn the material efficiently and quickly.

The beginning student is advised to look for other, more elementary textbooks.

The book contains many exercises with solutions at the end of the book.

Excelent
It's a very good book about cryptography and all the "stuff" about it. Neal Koblick is one of the invertor on ECC, so he knows about he talks. ... Read more

Isbn: 3540634460
Sales Rank: 584094
Subjects:  1. Algebra - General    2. Applied    3. Coding theory    4. Computers    5. Cryptography/Access Control    6. Curves, Elliptic    7. Mathematics    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Security   

Foundations of Cryptography: Volume 1, Basic Tools
by Oded Goldreich
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (06 August, 2001)
list price: $80.00 -- our price: $69.56
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Reviews (3)

Fundamental book for anyone working with cryptography
This book, that you can see some parts on the authors site, is a essencial on everyone desk working on security and cryptography. Itis not a book of recipes of how to build a secure cryptographic environment but a fundamental book on the basics of cryptography and cryptographic protocols.

Great idea -- needs a good editor!
This book hits some extremes in good and bad.The good is easy:There are few (no?) other books that fill the niche of theoretical cryptography.There are some excellent lecture notes from Bellare and Goldwasser that are available on the web, but they don't go into the detailed motivation of topics that Goldreich does.The topics that Goldreich has chosen cover a lot of important areas, and he has done a great job of pulling out the best, most essential results to present.

However, the bad part is that the writing is simply horrible.There seems to be little planning and things simply don't flow at all.Here's a specific example, which is so bad as to almost be funny:There's a huge use of footnotes for side comments, mostly because of this "stream of consciousness" writing that doesn't work things in properly.The first footnote in chapter 4 says, believe it or not, "See Footnote 13".Huh?So I go digging through the later part of the chapter, looking desperately for this gem of knowledge that will be in footnote 13, and what is it?The definition of a graph!Now come on -- chapter 4 of a book, where we've been dealing with advanced topics in computer science, and they feel the need to define a graph!?!?!Through several levels of indirection in footnotes?Come on guys, what editor let that one through?

Oded is a great computer scientist, and a good guy, but please, PLEASE get a good editor for the other volumes, or maybe even a good writer to team up with!

Superb presentation of the theoretical foundations.
We all know what it means for an algorithm to compute a function, but what does it mean for an encryption scheme to be secure? Traditionally, cryptographic schemes were suggested and attacked based on ad-hoc criterias, for lack of a proper theoretical setting. The last two decades have seen enormous progress in this respect. New notions were devised to harness the computational difficulty of problems in a constructive way to achieve security (in various senses) against all adversaries. This enabled the definition of a host of well-defined cryptographic "objects" and investigation of their existence and relations.

The planned 3-volume series aims to provide a thorough presentation of the theory, written by a dominant figure in the field. This first volume introduces the basic notions: one-way functions, pseudorandom generators, various zero-knowledge proof systems and related concepts. Curiously, common cryptographic objects such as encryption schemes and signature schemes are only briefly discussed in an appendix -- the author has chosen to postpone these to the Volume 2 in the interest of in-depth discussion of the simpler objects. Hence this volume does not stand well on its own, and until Volume 2 is published the impatient reader may be disappointed. Fortunately, drafts of Volume 2 are available on-line: www.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il/~oded/foc-vol2.html

The presentation style is a tour de force of didactic sensitivity. The subject material is often problematic, because the mental gymnastics required are not quite like any other field. The author is fully aware of this, and provides ample intuitive discussion and motivation to help the reader through the more technical parts (without compromising rigorousness). A clear effort is made to present, or at least mention and reference, all interesting results pertaining to the discussion. This makes the book invaluable as a reference, though it could have been overwhelming had not the author taken care to separate these excursions from the main discussion. The exercises are usually well-considered and rewarding, and unlike some textbooks you won't find important results disguised as an optional exercise.

Those interested primarily in practical applications of cryptography may well find this book too abstract and irrelevant; the relation between this book and Schneier's "Applied Cryptography" is roughly like that between organic chemistry and cooking. However, for those taking academic interest in the field or trying to devise novel cryptographic schemes, this book is an effective way to get a solid grasp on the theory, and a delightful way to understand this exciting branch of computer science. ... Read more

Isbn: 0521791723
Sales Rank: 262063
Subjects:  1. Business Writing    2. Coding Theory    3. Computer Bks - General Information    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computers    6. Cryptography    7. Cryptography/Access Control    8. Mathematics    9. Programming - Systems Analysis & Design    10. Security    11. Coding theory & cryptology    12. Computers / General    13. Data security & data encryption    14. Network security   

Foundations of Cryptography: Volume 2, Basic Applications
by Oded Goldreich
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (10 May, 2004)
list price: $75.00 -- our price: $75.00
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Reviews (1)

A must have for people doing research in theoretical crypto
This is a sequel of Foundations of Cryptography, Vol 1, which covers theoretical proofs of signatures, encryptions, and more.
The price of $75.00 is a bit prohibitive at the moment, and the contents are a little bit dense to follow, but this is an important book to have if you want to do research in theoretical crypto. ... Read more

Isbn: 0521830842
Sales Rank: 169391
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - General Information    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. General    5. Computers / General    6. Data security & data encryption    7. Mathematical theory of computation   

Modern Cryptography, Probalistic Proofs and Pseudorandomness (Algorithms and Combinatorics)
by Oded Goldreich
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (04 December, 1998)
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Reviews (2)

Good book for a better understanding of cryptography
This boook is not an introductory one although it could be read by almost everyone. It cover many facets of cryptography as randomness, zero knowledge proofs and interactive proofs. It also gives a good background of this ideas.

The book can be read by everyone who is interested on cryptography, secure intrnet and alike. But needs a background on CS.
The author hass a webpage with some of the material that lead to the book. It is a good idea to read them first and them decide on the book.

Excellent survey
The book contains an broad overview of the 3 fields in the title (probabilistic proofsstands for both Interactive Proofs, Zero-Knowledge & Probabilisticly Checkable Proofs).

While definitions are accurate(therefore technical), most proof are only given insketches which enablesthe reader to understand the basic ideas behind them with out getting lost in the details.

I (as a graduate student in theoretical CS) felt it isnon-technical enough as to be readable and yet improved both my knowledgeof the field and its techniques, and my "maturity" regarding theconcepts involved. ... Read more

Isbn: 354064766X
Sales Rank: 1007520
Subjects:  1. Applied    2. Combinatorics    3. Computer Data Security    4. Computer security    5. Cryptography    6. Mathematics    7. Probability & Statistics - General    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Security    10. Complexity Theory    11. Mathematics / Discrete Mathematics    12. Radnomness    13. Randomness and Computation   

Cryptanalysis of Number Theoretic Ciphers
by Samuel S., Jr. Wagstaff, Mikhail J. Atallah
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (27 December, 2002)
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Reviews (2)

Good textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate course
I read the book and is almost self contained. No knowledge in Number Theory is assumed. Has a great combination of text and math. Last few chapters could have been better.

Assistant Researcher
An excellent book.I am a beginning cryptographer with some statistics, discrete math, user level crypto and programming under my belt - crossing over from another field.This book is an excellent read with proper amounts of examples and theorems.It is easy to follow and would make a good reference. ... Read more

Isbn: 1584881534
Sales Rank: 605812
Subjects:  1. Applied    2. Computer security    3. Cryptography    4. Cryptography/Access Control    5. Mathematics    6. Number Theory    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Security    10. System Theory    11. Theory Of Numbers