Codes: An Introduction to Information Communication and Cryptography


Book Description

Many people do not realise that mathematics provides the foundation for the devices we use to handle information in the modern world. Most of those who do know probably think that the parts of mathematics involvedare quite ‘cl- sical’, such as Fourier analysis and di?erential equations. In fact, a great deal of the mathematical background is part of what used to be called ‘pure’ ma- ematics, indicating that it was created in order to deal with problems that originated within mathematics itself. It has taken many years for mathema- cians to come to terms with this situation, and some of them are still not entirely happy about it. Thisbookisanintegratedintroductionto Coding.Bythis Imeanreplacing symbolic information, such as a sequence of bits or a message written in a naturallanguage,byanother messageusing (possibly) di?erentsymbols.There are three main reasons for doing this: Economy (data compression), Reliability (correction of errors), and Security (cryptography). I have tried to cover each of these three areas in su?cient depth so that the reader can grasp the basic problems and go on to more advanced study. The mathematical theory is introduced in a way that enables the basic problems to bestatedcarefully,butwithoutunnecessaryabstraction.Theprerequisites(sets andfunctions,matrices,?niteprobability)shouldbefamiliartoanyonewhohas taken a standard course in mathematical methods or discrete mathematics. A course in elementary abstract algebra and/or number theory would be helpful, but the book contains the essential facts, and readers without this background should be able to understand what is going on. vi Thereareafewplaceswherereferenceismadetocomputeralgebrasystems.




Codes and Cryptography


Book Description

This textbook unifies the concepts of information, codes and cryptography as first considered by Shannon in his seminal papers on communication and secrecy systems. The book has been the basis of a very popular course in Communication Theory which the author has given over several years to undergraduate mathematicians and computer scientists at Oxford. The first five chapters of the book cover the fundamental ideas of information theory, compact encoding of messages, and an introduction to the theory of error-correcting codes. After a discussion of mathematical models of English, there is an introduction to the classical Shannon model of cryptography. This is followed by a brief survey of those aspects of computational complexity needed for an understanding of modern cryptography, password systems and authentication techniques. Because the aim of the text is to make this exciting branch of modern applied mathematics available to readers with a wide variety of interests and backgrounds, the mathematical prerequisites have been kept to an absolute minimum. In addition to an extensive bibliography there are many exercises (easy) and problems together with solutions.




Making, Breaking Codes


Book Description

This unique book explains the basic issues of classical and modern cryptography, and provides a self contained essential mathematical background in number theory, abstract algebra, and probability--with surveys of relevant parts of complexity theory and other things. A user-friendly, down-to-earth tone presents concretely motivated introductions to these topics. More detailed chapter topics include simple ciphers; applying ideas from probability; substitutions, transpositions, permutations; modern symmetric ciphers; the integers; prime numbers; powers and roots modulo primes; powers and roots for composite moduli; weakly multiplicative functions; quadratic symbols, quadratic reciprocity; pseudoprimes; groups; sketches of protocols; rings, fields, polynomials; cyclotomic polynomials, primitive roots; pseudo-random number generators; proofs concerning pseudoprimality; factorization attacks finite fields; and elliptic curves. For personnel in computer security, system administration, and information systems.




Introduction To Cryptography And Network Security


Book Description

Over the last several years, there have been two key shifts in how much emphasis a business places on the information security. Before the broad availability of data processing tools, physical and administrative papers were the primary means by which an organisation ensured the safety of information it deemed important. The latter category includes activities like vetting potential new employees. Using sturdy filing cabinets secured by a key or combination lock is an instance of the latter. The development of computers has resulted in the critical need for reliable automated methods of safeguarding data saved in digital form. For the systems like time-sharing systems, this is necessary, and for those that could be accessed through a public telephone data network or the internet, the requirement might be much more pressing. Distributed systems and the use of the networks and the communications facilities for transferring data between terminal user and computer represent the second significant shift that has had an impact on security. Data in transit must be protected, which is why network security is essential. Since every corporation, government agency, and educational institution uses a complex web of linked networks to connect its computer systems, the term "network security" is deceptive. As a field of study, cryptography is concerned with the development of secure systems for transmitting private information across a network. Art and cryptography go hand in hand. Cryptography ensures that people may continue to trust the digital world. The electric channel is a trustworthy place for people to do business without the need to resort to trickery.




Everyday Cryptography


Book Description

Cryptography is a vital technology that underpins the security of information in computer networks. This book presents a comprehensive introduction to the role that cryptography plays in providing information security for technologies such as the Internet, mobile phones, payment cards, and wireless local area networks. Focusing on the fundamental principles that ground modern cryptography as they arise in modern applications, it avoids both an over-reliance on transient current technologies and over-whelming theoretical research. Everyday Cryptography is a self-contained and widely accessible introductory text. Almost no prior knowledge of mathematics is required since the book deliberately avoids the details of the mathematical techniques underpinning cryptographic mechanisms, though a short appendix is included for those looking for a deeper appreciation of some of the concepts involved. By the end of this book, the reader will not only be able to understand the practical issues concerned with the deployment of cryptographic mechanisms, including the management of cryptographic keys, but will also be able to interpret future developments in this fascinating and increasingly important area of technology.




Codes, Cryptology and Information Security


Book Description

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Codes, Cryptology and Information Security, C2SI 2023, held in Rabat, Morocco, during May 29–31, 2023. The 21 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 62 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: Invited Papers, Cryptography, Information Security, Discrete Mathematics, Coding Theory.




The Code Book: The Secrets Behind Codebreaking


Book Description

"As gripping as a good thriller." --The Washington Post Unpack the science of secrecy and discover the methods behind cryptography--the encoding and decoding of information--in this clear and easy-to-understand young adult adaptation of the national bestseller that's perfect for this age of WikiLeaks, the Sony hack, and other events that reveal the extent to which our technology is never quite as secure as we want to believe. Coders and codebreakers alike will be fascinated by history's most mesmerizing stories of intrigue and cunning--from Julius Caesar and his Caeser cipher to the Allies' use of the Enigma machine to decode German messages during World War II. Accessible, compelling, and timely, The Code Book is sure to make readers see the past--and the future--in a whole new way. "Singh's power of explaining complex ideas is as dazzling as ever." --The Guardian




Combinatorial Designs for Authentication and Secrecy Codes


Book Description

Combinatorial Designs for Authentication and Secrecy Codes is a succinct in-depth review and tutorial of a subject that promises to lead to major advances in computer and communication security. This monograph provides a tutorial on combinatorial designs, which gives an overview of the theory. Furthermore, the application of combinatorial designs to authentication and secrecy codes is described in depth. This close relationship of designs with cryptography and information security was first revealed in Shannon's seminal paper on secrecy systems. We bring together in one source foundational and current contributions concerning design-theoretic constructions and characterizations of authentication and secrecy codes.




Codes, Cryptology and Curves with Computer Algebra


Book Description

This well-balanced text touches on theoretical and applied aspects of protecting digital data. The reader is provided with the basic theory and is then shown deeper fascinating detail, including the current state of the art. Readers will soon become familiar with methods of protecting digital data while it is transmitted, as well as while the data is being stored. Both basic and advanced error-correcting codes are introduced together with numerous results on their parameters and properties. The authors explain how to apply these codes to symmetric and public key cryptosystems and secret sharing. Interesting approaches based on polynomial systems solving are applied to cryptography and decoding codes. Computer algebra systems are also used to provide an understanding of how objects introduced in the book are constructed, and how their properties can be examined. This book is designed for Masters-level students studying mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering or physics.




Handbook of Communications Security


Book Description

Communications represent a strategic sector for privacy protection and for personal, company, national and international security. The interception, damage or lost of information during communication can generate material and non material economic damages from both a personal and collective point of view. The purpose of this book is to give the reader information relating to all aspects of communications security, beginning at the base ideas and building to reach the most advanced and updated concepts. The book will be of interest to integrated system designers, telecommunication designers, system engineers, system analysts, security managers, technicians, intelligence personnel, security personnel, police, army, private investigators, scientists, graduate and postgraduate students and anyone that needs to communicate in a secure way.