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List:       cryptography
Subject:    Re: Request for information on cryptanalysis
From:       Rick Smith <rick_smith () securecomputing ! com>
Date:       1998-08-18 15:57:10
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At 02:10 PM 8/14/98, Sonalyst@Hotmail.com wrote:
>What books do you recommend to learn as much as possible on the subject?

If you're seriously interested in theoretical attacks on modern ciphers,
then the various books suggested so far should be fine. If you're
interested in general about attacks on cryptographically protected data,
then I can suggest a couple of other sources:

1. Stallings, "Practical Cryptography for Data Networks," IEEE press. I
think the title is correct. It's a collection of reprints, including
Weiner's now classic paper on building a DES cracking engine, and some
terrific papers by Ross Anderson and Gus Simmons.

2. my own book, "Internet Cryptography," (Addison Wesley, 1997) which is a
nonmathematical treatment of how and how not to use cryptographic
equipment. The "how not" part consists primarily of general descriptions of
how to attack crypto data in various ways. 

If you're new to cryptography you may find my book to be a better read than
some of the other recommendations, except perhaps Kahn's "Codebreakers" or
Bauer's "Decrypted Secrets." Bauer is entertaining even if you find you
have to skip the math sections.

Rick Smith.
smith@securecomputing.com
"Internet Cryptography" web site at http://www.visi.com/crypto/

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