Cryptography Demystified [Paperback]

John Hershey (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071406387 | ISBN-13: 978-0071406383 | Publication Date: August 23, 2002 | Edition: 1

This work offers an unconventional, fun way to master the basics of cryptography. Cryptography is not just for specialists. Now every wireless message, wireless phone call, online transaction, and email is encrypted at one end and decrypted at the other. "Crypto" is part of the job description for network designers, network engineers, and telecom developers. If you need cryptography basics - but dread the thick tomes that are your only other option - help is at hand."Cryptography Demystified" puts the fundamentals into a 35-module, learn-by-doing package that's actually fun to use. You must read this book if: you prefer your simplifications from an expert who understands the complexities; 6 years of success as a short course for students and professionals works for you; you enjoy hearing the phrase "nothing to memorize"; ecommerce, email, network security, or wireless communications is part of your bailiwick; cracking cryptography means a jump up the career ladder; the words "public-key cryptography," "channel-based cryptography," and "prime numbers" pique your interest; and, best-practices cryptography is the only secure way for you - and your company - to go. One of the most complex subjects in Information Technology, cryptography gets its due in this down-to-earth, self-teaching tutorial - the first to make the basics of the science truly accessible.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

AN UNCONVENTIONAL, FUN WAY TO MASTER THE BASICS OF CRYPTOGRAPHY

Cryptography is not just for specialists. Now every wireless message, wireless phone call, online transaction, and email is encrypted at one end and decrypted at the other. “Crypto” is part of the job description for network designers, network engineers, and telecom developers. If you need cryptography basics—but dread the thick tomes that are your only other option—help is at hand. Cryptography Demystified puts the fundamentals into a 35-module, learn-by-doing package that’s actually fun to use.

You must read this book if—
* You prefer your simplifications from an expert who understands the complexities
* 6 years of success as a short course for students and professionals works for you
* you enjoy hearing the phrase “nothing to memorize”
* ecommerce, email, network security, or wireless communications is part of your bailiwick
* cracking cryptography means a jump up the career ladder
* the words “public-key cryptography,” “channel-based cryptography,” and “prime numbers” pique your interest
* best-practices cryptography is the only secure way for you—and your company—to go

One of the most complex subjects in Information Technology, cryptography gets its due in this down-to-earth, self-teaching tutorial—the first to make the basics of the science truly accessible.

About the Author

John E. Hershey has more than 30 years’ experience in telecom security. The author or co-author of five advanced texts: Hadamard Matrix Analysis and Synthesis : With Applications to Communications and Signal/Image Processing; The Elements of System Design; Data Transportation and Protection (Applications of Communications Theory); Perspectives in Spread Spectrum; and Doppler Applications in LEO Satellite Communication Systems, he was elected a Fellow of the IEEE “for contributions to secure communications” and currently teaches cryptography at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He lives in Ballston Lake, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 1 edition (August 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071406387
• ISBN-13: 978-0071406383
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #901,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars BA/BS in Mathematics Required, May 24, 2005

By 

Anthony R. Ruiz "T-Bone" (OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cryptography Demystified (Paperback)

If you can make sense of this then you'll be able to make sense of the rest of the book (From Module 4):

Prob[p(t)=1lc(t)={Prob[c(t)=1lp(t)=1]Prob[p(t)=1]}/{Prob[c(t)=1]}
Now,
Prob[c(t)=1lp(t)=1]=Prob[k(t)=0]
and
Prob[c(t)=1]=Prob[p(t)=1]Prob[k(t)=0]+Prob[p(t)=0]Prob[k(t)=1]
therefore,
Prob[p(t)=1lc(t)=1]={prob[k(t)=0]Prob[p(t)=1]}/{Prob[p(t)=1]Prob[k(t)=0}+Prob[p(t)=0]Prob[k(t)=1]}

This book is slanted towards more theory and math than others that deal in practicality, for instance "Cryptography for Dummies". But if you have a solid foundation in mathematics and have the temporal ability to "quantinize" then this is a fantastic book. I would speculate this book is meant for graduate comp. sci/eng coursework as it is broken down into 35 Modules with problem solving exercises at the end of each. At any rate, good luck!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cryptography Demystified - For Professionals and Amateurs, September 19, 2002

By 

Noel D Matchett (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cryptography Demystified (Paperback)

John Hershey's latest book is a skillful blend of information describing, illustrating, and proving the basic foundations and principles of modern cryptography. It combines the experience of a professional cryptographer and researcher with the clear writing and insightful examples of an excellent teacher.

The book focuses on the major components of a cryptographic system and presents in a quite readable way, some very important and subtle concepts that should be followed when designing and implementing a system. He also presents some non-obvious pitfalls that must absolutely be avoided. For those who are able and willing to work through the mathematics, a solid foundation is presented for symmetric cryptography (e.g. DES), public key cryptography (e.g. RSA), and cryptographic key management. However, a mathematical background is not necessary to derive a great deal of benefit from Cryptography Demystified. Even eliminating all of the mathematics, a reader who carefully studies the various concepts and ideas presented will gain a great deal of understanding of which properties make a good cryptographic system and which do not, along with the reasons why.

This book is not a history of cryptography such as David Kahn's The Codebreakers nor an encyclopedia such as Bruce Schneier's massive compendium Applied Cryptography . It is a carefully crafted work by a brilliant and creative person as demonstrated by his over 70 patents, another 50 patents pending, and extensive list of publications. Many of these patents and publications are in the field of cryptography and security. Cryptography Demystified guides the reader through all of the major elements of a cryptographic system with illustrations from the Caesar cipher through the theoretical principles of quantum cryptography in the Channel Cryptography section. Sets of exercises (with answers at the back) are included at the end of each chapter for the more serious readers to test their understanding.

As president of an information security consulting company and someone who started 35 years ago as a mathematician working on U.S. Government cryptography , I wish I had such a book then and find I can learn from it now.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!, August 30, 2002

By 

Scott C Evans (Burnt Hills, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cryptography Demystified (Paperback)

I took the author's graduate course on cryptography while this book was still in draft form. The material addresses the difficult and essential foundations of cryptography in a way that is accessible to people with a wide variety of backgrounds. Anyone interested in cryptography, from the computer enthusiast to the number theorist will enjoy and gain insight from this book.