Contemporary Cryptology: The Science of Information Integrity

How to prevent cheating, or failing that, to detect cheating in information-based systems wherein the information itself has no meaningful physical existence. The subject is broad, because there are many different objectives for cheating, and it is hot because of the importance of information security in so many settings where documents and legal protocols (witnessing, dating, certification) once served. Coverage here includes the basics as well as algorithms, protocols, and applications. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Contemporary Cryptology: The Science of Information Integrity is a compilation of essays on cryptography that is organized around central topics within the field of encryption over the last two decades. The text collects influential essays by pioneers in the field, including Whitfield Diffie, a trailblazer of public key cryptography.

The book includes sections on the Data Encryption Standard (DES), digital signatures, authentication, protocols, and cryptanalysis or code breaking. Of particular interest is the chapter on smart cards, which explores the possibilities of hardware and software for digital cash and other applications. As a document of recent research in the field, this text will prove useful for the general reader as well as the specialist. Several essays present the math behind cryptographic applications, but there is much to mine here for the curious reader. Contemporary Cryptology also includes several bibliographies on the subject of cryptography and related fields.