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Cryptography is all about the security system. In cryptography, we study different techniques because of which such security is developed with the help of which the data, text, or content stays enclosed only between the sender and the recipient of the message. You can also call cryptography as securing communications in the presence of adversaries. With time, the content of cryptography is also increasing day by day.
To cope up with the modern world, you must set up a sound communication system with great security and protection. There are certain mathematical techniques, algorithms, codes, and much more that help you in developing the security of a system. The main usage of cryptography nowadays is to reach secrecy of the data. You can also use the techniques of cryptography for the encryption of communications. Cryptography is present in the financial, private, and public sectors of the country.
What are the Best Cryptography Books to read?
The following are some of the books you can read to gain information about cryptography. What is necessary is to read these books with full attention so that you get clear concepts about it. If you have a good knowledge about cryptography but are unaware of the practical applications of it, you can take help from these books in this case also.
Best Cryptography Books: Our Top 20 Picks
Here are some of the best cryptography books that you can consider to expand your knowledge on the subject:
1. The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh
Elaborates about different codes present in cryptography. His focus is to aware of the history of encryption and is unique in explaining it. He described the origin of encryption, moving to the different applications of encryption, to the diverse effects of encryption in the life of an individual and in fights and wars.
The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh describes secrecy as the most potent intellectual weapon. This book also has information about the work and contribution of different people in inventing, implementing, and breaking of various encryption codes. Through reading this book, you will be able to learn a lot about the history of the encryption codes.
- Authors: Simon Singh (Author)
- Publisher: Anchor; Illustrated Edition (August 29, 2000)
- Pages: 432 pages
2. Understanding Cryptography: A Textbook for Students and Practitioners by Christof Paar and Jan Pelzl
Clears unique features of the cryptography. In the present world, there is much application of cryptography in different and various areas. So, it is important to learn about it. Along with the banking system, people also use different cryptographic techniques in smartphones, cars, medical, software, browsers, and many more.
Understanding Cryptography: A Textbook for Students and Practitioners by Christof Paar and Jan Pelzl is a comprehensive guide to different techniques you need to learn in cryptography. The authors are elaborating on each and everything related to the cryptography and are good this because of the prior teaching experience in this subject. Beginning with the basic concepts and then also discusses different practical usage of cryptography in various areas of life.
- Authors: Christof Paar (Author), Jan Pelzl (Author), Bart Preneel (Foreword)
- Publisher: Springer; 1st ed. 2010 Edition (December 10, 2009)
- Pages: 390 pages
3. Break the Code: Cryptography for Beginners (Dover Children’s Activity Books) by Bud Johnson
Explains the six diverse types of codes present in the world that are necessary to understand for a cryptographer. These types are keyword code, twisted path code, shift code, simple letter grouping, reverse tail, and date shift. Being a cryptographer, it was easy for the author to know about the concepts of points necessary for a person who is interested in learning more about codes.
Break the Code: Cryptography for Beginners (Dover Children’s Activity Books) by Bud Johnson is a book for those who want to fully explore codes. To use codes in daily life, it is important to study all the basics and techniques involved in cryptography. If you want to know about the codes present in certain secret books, or are interested in practically using codes, this book is helpful in it.
- Authors: Bud Johnson (Author)
- Publisher: Dover Publications (May 22, 2013)
- Pages: 80 pages
4. Cryptography Engineering: Design Principles and Practical Applications 1st Edition by Niels Ferguson
Highly emphasizes on every topic of cryptography. So, you can call it an utterly ultimate guide of cryptography. The main purpose of cryptography is to protect the information. And everyone knows that this is becoming difficult day by day. So, to keep your information protected, you must keep your cryptography information modern and updated also.
Cryptography Engineering: Design Principles and Practical Applications 1st Edition by Niels Ferguson has all the possible information necessary to become an expert in cryptography. Through reading this book, you will be able to clear your concepts about hash functions, block modes, and block ciphers, message authentication codes, negotiation protocols, and many other things. Also, you will find the practical usage of cryptography in this book.
- Authors: Niels Ferguson (Author), Bruce Schneier (Author), Tadayoshi Kohno (Author)
- Publisher: Wiley; 1st Edition (March 15, 2010)
- Pages: 384 pages
5. Cryptography: A Very Short Introduction by Fred Piper and Sean Murphy
Tells about all the basics necessary to understand cryptography. If you are in search of something that can guide you about cryptography from the simplest to the most complicated techniques, you should read this book then. Cryptography holds a wonderful place in social and political situations of life. This book also explains the usage of algorithms, their purpose, areas where algorithms are involved, and about the dangers or risks one can face for using algorithms.
Cryptography: A Very Short Introduction by Fred Piper and Sean Murphy also discusses block ciphers, digital signatures, stream ciphers, public key algorithms, e-commerce, and many other things important related to cryptography. You can also get to know about the extreme effects of cryptography on our lives.
- Authors: Fred Piper (Author), Sean Murphy (Author)
- Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1st Edition (July 15, 2002)
- Pages: 160 pages
6. Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice (6th Edition) by William Stallings
Comprises of vast knowledge related to cryptography. Network security is especially important for protecting your data. So, to read the issues involved in network security, and how to resolve them, you can use this book. It is a book that is suitable for the students to seek more information and to explore new techniques present in cryptography.
Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice (6th Edition) by William Stallings is helpful for learning different things in the cryptography field. However, if you are a system engineer, network manager, programmer, or system manager, you can consult this book in order to know about different and the most suitable applications of cryptography in daily life.
- Authors: William Stallings (Author)
- Publisher: Pearson; 6th Edition (March 16, 2013)
- Pages: 752 pages
7. Serious Cryptography: A Practical Introduction to Modern Encryption by Jean-Philippe Aumasson
Explains the practical usage or application of cryptography. It tells more about the encryption of the present time. If you do not have clear concepts of cryptography, you can clear a lot of your concepts from this book. You can find out about the hash functions, authenticated encryption, and many techniques involved in cryptography. It explains about the cryptography ranging from the basic to the complex techniques. Also, with the help of this book, you will be able to know about different practical applications of cryptography in various areas of life.
Serious Cryptography: A Practical Introduction to Modern Encryption by Jean-Philippe Aumasson is a good guide to clear your concepts in the study of cryptography. The main things you need to learn in cryptography included attacker models, forward secrecy, and computational security. It also describes the nature of different codes and the practical implementation of these codes.
- Authors: Jean-Philippe Aumasson (Author)
- Publisher: No Starch Press (November 6, 2017)
- Pages: 312 pages
8. Cryptography Decrypted 1st Edition by H.X. Mel
Explains about the computer cryptography. Computer cryptography is a process that involves various concepts that are necessary to understand. Also, you must use different techniques to be successful in your task. If you want to know about how to use, why to use, and where to use encryption in your computer system, this book is helpful for you. It will include concepts from the beginning and covering the answers to all your questions. So, if you have vague concepts in cryptography, this book will be extremely helpful for you to clear your concepts.
Cryptography Decrypted 1st Edition by H.X. Mel is useful for those who are interested in learning all about the computer cryptography. This book covers all the key features and concepts, including private, public, and secret keys, along with the methods of secret keys. You will also get to know about the distribution of these keys.
- Authors: H. X. Mel (Author), Doris M. Baker (Contributor)
- Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1st Edition (December 21, 2000)
- Pages: 374 pages
9. Handbook of Applied Cryptography (Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications) 1st Edition by Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. Van Oorschot, and Scott A. Vanstone
Public-key cryptography is a subject of great interest in this time. Many people have researched a lot on this subject to explore the science of information security in different applications. There is much use of public-key cryptography in today’s world.
Handbook of Applied Cryptography (Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications) 1st Edition by Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. Van Oorschot, and Scott A. Vanstone tells that commonly we use these techniques in the personal privacy such as the emails. We also use the techniques and features of the public key cryptography in the financial or public sector.
- Authors: Alfred J. Menezes (Author), Paul C. van Oorschot (Author), Scott A. Vanstone (Author)
- Publisher: CRC Press; 1st Edition (December 16, 1996)
- Pages: 780 pages
10. Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice (7th Edition) 7th Edition by William Stallings
Supplies information to the people about cryptography and network security in detail. In today’s world, with the advancements in the success of the technology, the number of viruses and hackers is also increasing. To cope up with this problem, it is important to have detailed information in the field of cryptography. So that you can completely protect your data from hackers.
Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice (7th Edition) 7th Edition by William Stallings supplies an awesome book based about social security. What this book covers include two main points. One is to explore all the problems one can face during dealing with network security. And the other point is to study the practical usage of cryptography to ensure complete network security.
- Authors: William Stallings (Author)
- Publisher: Pearson; 7th Edition (March 5, 2016)
- Pages: 768 pages
11. Practical Cryptography 1st Edition by Neils Ferguson and Bruce Schneier
Highlights about the importance of high-quality security necessary to use in different fields of life. What you can so for achieving good security is to go for using cryptography. The reason behind this is the most effective and suitable tools for storage or transmittance of digital information.
Practical Cryptography 1st Edition by Neils Ferguson and Bruce Schneier tells us about the usage of cryptography in our daily lives. Only learning about something is not enough; you also must know the correct ways of using this knowledge in your daily life. After reading this book, it will become much easier for you to know about using cryptography at the right moment, and about improving the security of your systems.
- Authors: Niels Ferguson (Author), Bruce Schneier (Author)
- Publisher: Wiley; 1st Edition (March 28, 2003)
- Pages: 432 pages
12. Cryptography: Theory and Practice, Third Edition (Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications) by Douglas R. Stinson
Consists of a variety of information about cryptography. The first edition of this book is a worldwide famous book that many people who want to learn cryptography make it a part of their syllabus. And, much importance was given to the second edition of this book.
Cryptography: Theory and Practice, Third Edition (Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications) by Douglas R. Stinson is popular in the entire world to gain plenty of knowledge about cryptography. With the everyday advancements occurring in the world, it is important to keep your knowledge up to date also. This book supplies detailed information about the latest and updated terms involved in cryptography. The author very precisely covers all the topics of cryptography.
- Authors: Douglas R. Stinson (Author)
- Publisher: Chapman and Hall/CRC; 3rd Edition (November 1, 2005)
- Pages: 616 pages
13. Cryptography for Dummies 1st Edition by Chey Cobb
Includes diverse information about cryptography. It is important to secure your data, and for this, you must use cryptography features. Also, if you are looking for e-commerce activities, you must keep proper information about cryptography, encoding, decoding, and other techniques.
Cryptography for Dummies 1st Edition by Chey Cobb extensively elaborates on the techniques involved in the field of cryptography. The author of this book is a security expert retired from the NRO department. She, with her excellent skills, made many policies about the computer security system. Along with the different techniques present in cryptography, she also explains the applications of these techniques. Being a security expert, she also tells about the advantages and disadvantages of the application of different cryptographic techniques.
- Authors: Chey Cobb (Author)
- Publisher: For Dummies; 1st Edition (May 21, 2007)
- Pages: 340 pages
14. Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms and Source Code in C 20th Edition by Bruce Schneier
Completely describes different areas where knowledge of cryptography is present. According to research, this book is the most detailed book written in the subject cryptography.
Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C 20th Edition by Bruce Schneier is a worldwide famous book that has diverse knowledge about cryptography that is necessary to clear your concepts in this subject. This book extensively elaborates on the practical implications of cryptography much evolved than the simple encoding and decoding processes. This book has information based on the common types of cryptographic protocols. You can also find some specific and important to know instructions and techniques that you must use in cryptography.
- Authors: Bruce Schneier (Author)
- Publisher: Wiley; 20th Edition (March 30, 2015)
- Pages: 784 pages
15. Introduction to Cryptography with Coding Theory (2nd Edition) 2nd Edition by Wade Trappe, Lawrence C. Washington
You will also find the explanation of math related to the subject of cryptography for your better understanding. And, for the purpose of clearing your concepts and thoughts about cryptography.
Introduction to Cryptography with Coding Theory (2nd Edition) 2nd Edition by Wade Trappe, Lawrence C. Washington also describes the many advancements in the field of cryptography. In this book, the author is also elaborating on the practical applications and protocols, including SET and SSL, where cryptography is involved. This book is helpful and beneficial for those who are interested in learning engineering related to cryptography.
- Authors: Wade Trappe (Author), Lawrence C. Washington (Author)
- Publisher: Pearson; 2nd Edition (July 25, 2005)
- Pages: 600 pages
16. Introduction to Modern Cryptography: Principles and Protocols (Chapman & Hall/CRC Cryptography and Network Security Series) 1st Edition by Jonathon Katz and Yehuda Lindell
Guides you about the principals, techniques, features, and applications of modern cryptography. Network security is especially important to ensure the protection of your personal information. This book is useful for students as well as experts to gain information and learn suitable ways of applying the information.
Introduction to Modern Cryptography: Principles and Protocols (Chapman & Hall/CRC Cryptography and Network Security Series) 1st Edition by Jonathon Katz and Yehuda Lindell supplies vast information on the topic of perfect secrecy.
- Authors: Jonathan Katz (Author), Yehuda Lindell (Author)
- Publisher: Chapman and Hall/CRC; 1st Edition (August 31, 2007)
- Pages: 552 pages
17. The Mathematics of Secrets: Cryptography from Caesar Ciphers to Digital Encryption Paperback by Joshua Holden
Explains the mathematics that is involved in the field of cryptography. By reading this book, we can also get to know about the procedure involved in transferring messages. The author had made it extremely easy for us to understand the cryptography with the help of real-life examples and anecdotes.
The Mathematics of Secrets: Cryptography from Caesar Ciphers to Digital Encryption Paperback by Joshua Holden also tells us about the mechanism or procedure present in the making and working of codes. In this book, the author describes the full mechanism of encoding and decoding. He tells a lot about the substitution ciphers. The author also describes using added notation and flexibility. Along with all this, the author also describes the future prediction of cryptography and the ciphers.
- Authors: Joshua Holden (Author)
- Publisher: Princeton University Press; Reprint Edition (October 2, 2018)
- Pages: 392 pages
18. An Introduction to Mathematical Cryptography (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics) 2nd ed. 2014 Edition by Jeffrey Hoffstein, Jill Pipher, and Joseph H. Silverman
Describes the basics of cryptography in detail. It also tells about the most suitable ways to use the knowledge of cryptography in everyday life. In this book, you will also find vast information based on mathematical concepts.
An Introduction to Mathematical Cryptography (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics) 2nd ed. 2014 Edition by Jeffrey Hoffstein, Jill Pipher, and Joseph H. Silverman is a helpful book in terms of the mathematics involved in cryptography. It also has information about making different mathematical tools that will help in improving the security system. You will learn much about the mathematical concepts present in the updated or modern cryptography.
- Authors: Jeffrey Hoffstein (Author), Jill Pipher (Author), Joseph H. Silverman (Author)
- Publisher: Springer; 2nd ed. 2014 Edition (September 11, 2014)
- Pages: 538 pages
19. Cryptography Apocalypse: Preparing for the Day When Quantum Computing Breaks Today’s Crypto 1st Edition by Roger A. Grimes
Explains the importance of computer encryption in protecting your personal data and the infrastructure of the system. This book is helpful for those who are beginners or even experienced in the field of computer encryption because it supplies various information ranging from simple to complex techniques.
Cryptography Apocalypse: Preparing for the Day When Quantum Computing Breaks Today’s Crypto 1st Edition by Roger A. Grimes is helpful for those who are interested in computer encryption. Also, if you are an experienced person in the subject of cryptography, you may also read this book in order to gain information regarding the most suitable ways of using the techniques and tips for computer encryption.
- Authors: Roger A. Grimes (Author)
- Publisher: Wiley; 1st Edition (November 12, 2019)
- Pages: 272 pages
20. Post-Quantum Cryptography 2009th Edition by Daniel J. Bernstein
Includes everything you need to know about quantum cryptography. In today’s world, what is dominant over the public-key cryptographic system is a quantum computer. This includes RSA, ECDSA, and DSA. In this book, one can know about the future or more advanced cryptographic algorithms. Most probably, post-quantum public-key encryption systems and post-quantum public-key signature systems will be the next level of the cryptographic algorithms.
Post-Quantum Cryptography 2009th Edition Daniel J. Bernstein is a book for those who want to explore all about the post-quantum cryptography. If you are a student or a researcher whether wishing to increase your knowledge or trying to find practical applications of the post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. You will also find great data in the mathematical field related to it.
- Authors: Daniel J. Bernstein (Editor), Johannes Buchmann (Editor), Erik Dahmen (Editor)
- Publisher: Springer; 2009th Edition (November 19, 2008)
- Pages: 256 pages
Choosing the Best Cryptography Books
Cryptography is an important thing to learn if you want to get the proper security of your online data. Nowadays, along with the advancements in the field of science and technology, people are also increasing their skills in hacking or viruses. To save yourself from this, you need to have proper information about encoding, decoding, and others. To get more information about cryptography, you can read the above-mentioned books. So, you can clear your concepts and thoughts about this subject. And by reading these books, you will also be able to know about the practical applications of cryptography in our everyday life.
