Cryptography

A nuts-and-bolts explanation of cryptography from a leading expert in information security.

Though often invisible, cryptography plays a critical role in our everyday lives, from online purchases and Google searches to even unlocking car doors with electronic key fobs. Broadly defined as a set of tools for establishing security in cyberspace, cryptography enables us to protect our information and share it securely. It underpins the security of mobile phone calls, card payments, web connections, internet messaging, Bitcoin transactions—in short, everything we do online.

In clear, concise writing, Keith Martin reveals the many crucial ways we all rely on cryptographic technology and demystifies its controversial applications and the nuances behind alarming headlines about data breaches or Edward Snowden. We learn, for example, how cryptography can hamper criminal investigations and obstruct national security efforts, and how increasingly...