Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A tour through history's real codes and ciphers written by two of today's best cipher crackers.
Expert codebreakers Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh introduce you to the world of breaking encrypted texts, whether by hand or using the many free computer tools available today. Each chapter introduces you to a specific cryptographic technique and presents many real-life examples of text encrypted using that scheme, from modern postcards to nineteenth-century newspaper ads, war-time telegrams, notes smuggled into prisons, and even entire encrypted books.
You'll learn how to:
Crack simple substitution ciphers, polyalphabetic ciphers, transposition ciphers, dictionary codes, and more Use free online cryptanalysis software, like CrypTool 2, to aid your analysis Identify clues and patterns to figure out what encryption scheme is being used
Codebreaking is the perfect handbook for anyone hoping to break some piece of encrypted text, solve previously undiscovered secrets, or hide their own secret messages.
Synopsis
If you liked Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code--or want to solve similarly baffling cyphers yourself--this is the book for you A thrilling exploration of history's most vexing codes and ciphers that uses hands-on exercises to teach you the most popular historical encryption schemes and techniques for breaking them.
Solve history's most hidden secrets alongside expert codebreakers Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh, as they guide you through the world of encrypted texts. With a focus on cracking real-world document encryptions--including some crime-based coded mysteries that remain unsolved--you'll be introduced to the free computer software that professional cryptographers use, helping you build your skills with state-of-the art tools. You'll also be inspired by thrilling success stories, like how the first three parts of Kryptos were broken.
Each chapter introduces you to a specific cryptanalysis technique, and presents factual examples of text encrypted using that scheme--from modern postcards to 19-century newspaper ads, war-time telegrams, notes smuggled into prisons, and even entire books written in code. Along the way, you'll work on NSA-developed challenges, detect and break a Caesar cipher, crack an encrypted journal from the movie The Prestige, and much more.
You'll learn:
- How to crack simple substitution, polyalphabetic, and transposition ciphers
- How to use free online cryptanalysis software, like CrypTool 2, to aid your analysis
- How to identify clues and patterns to figure out what encryption scheme is being used
- How to encrypt your own emails and secret messages
Codebreaking is the most up-to-date resource on cryptanalysis published since World War II--essential for modern forensic codebreakers, and designed to help amateurs unlock some of history's greatest mysteries.