2nd Edition

An Introduction to Cryptography

By Richard A. Mollin Copyright 2006
    413 Pages 41 B/W Illustrations
    by Chapman & Hall

    Continuing a bestselling tradition, An Introduction to Cryptography, Second Edition provides a solid foundation in cryptographic concepts that features all of the requisite background material on number theory and algorithmic complexity as well as a historical look at the field.

    With numerous additions and restructured material, this edition presents the ideas behind cryptography and the applications of the subject. The first chapter provides a thorough treatment of the mathematics necessary to understand cryptography, including number theory and complexity, while the second chapter discusses cryptographic fundamentals, such as ciphers, linear feedback shift registers, modes of operation, and attacks. The next several chapters discuss DES, AES, public-key cryptography, primality testing, and various factoring methods, from classical to elliptical curves. The final chapters are comprised of issues pertaining to the Internet, such as pretty good privacy (PGP), protocol layers, firewalls, and cookies, as well as applications, including login and network security, viruses, smart cards, and biometrics. The book concludes with appendices on mathematical data, computer arithmetic, the Rijndael S-Box, knapsack ciphers, the Silver-Pohlig-Hellman algorithm, the SHA-1 algorithm, radix-64 encoding, and quantum cryptography.

    New to the Second Edition:

  • An introductory chapter that provides more information on mathematical facts and complexity theory
  • Expanded and updated exercises sets, including some routine exercises
  • More information on primality testing and cryptanalysis

    Accessible and logically organized, An Introduction to Cryptography, Second Edition is the essential book on the fundamentals of cryptography.
  • Preface

    MATHEMATICAL BASICS
    Divisibility
    Primes, Primality Testing, and Induction
    An Introduction to Congruences
    Euler, Fermat, and Wilson
    Primitive Roots
    The Index Calculus and Power Residues
    Legendre, Jacobi, & Quadratic Reciprocity
    Complexity

    CRYPTOGRAPHIC BASICS
    Definitions and Illustrations
    Classic Ciphers
    Stream Ciphers
    LFSRs
    Modes of Operation
    Attacks

    DES AND AES
    S-DES and DES
    AES

    PUBLIC-KEY CRYPTOGRAPHY
    The Ideas behind PKC
    Digital Envelopes and PKCs
    RSA
    ElGamal
    DSA - The DSS

    PRIMALITY TESTING
    True Primality Tests
    Probabilistic Primality Tests
    Recognizing Primes

    FACTORING
    Classical Factorization Methods
    The Continued Fraction Algorithm
    Pollard's Algorithms
    The Quadratic Sieve
    The Elliptic Curve Method (ECM)

    ELECTRONIC MAIL AND INTERNET SECURITY
    History of the Internet and the WWW
    Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)
    Protocol Layers and SSL
    Internetworking and Security - Firewalls
    Client-Server Model and Cookies

    LEADING-EDGE APPLICATIONS
    Login and Network Security
    Viruses and Other Infections
    Smart Cards
    Biometrics

    Biography

    Richard A. Mollin

    "Mollin has written a very nice book. He presents a vast overview of cryptography, its history, and modern uses, which makes for interesting reading."

    – In Siam Review, 2008, Vol. 50, No. 2

    Praise for the First Edition:
    "…Mollin has written a readable text on a subject that can be challenging. It deserves your attention."
    - The Cryptogram

    "This is a great book! It can be used in many ways: for a university course at one extreme, and as selective light reading for pleasure at the other. The author's enthusiasm carries the reader along clearly and easily, spilling over to scores of fascinating, beautifully written footnotes, which include more than fifty mini-biographies. … excellent and highly recommended."
    -Short Book Reviews, Vol. 21, No. 2, August 2001

    "I want to congratulate you on An Introduction to Cryptography. This is a fine addition to the field. Upon my recommendation, my personal firm has purchased several copies, it's so great. … Your explanation in the section of 'Coin Flipping via Exponentiation' was brilliantly orchestrated."
    -Owen Henry Cupp, Southern Sovereign Institute, Georgia, USA

    "In this very nice book, the author introduces at an undergraduate level the following topics: Origins, computer arithmetic, and complexity … . This book pays a lot of attention to the history of this research field, which makes the reading very enjoyable…"
    -Zentralblatt fur Mathematik