Jean-Philippe Aumasson

This practical guide to modern encryption breaks down the fundamental mathematical concepts at the heart of cryptography without shying away from meaty discussions of how they work. You’ll learn about authenticated encryption, secure randomness, hash functions, block ciphers, and public-key techniques such as RSA and elliptic curve cryptography. You’ll also learn: - Key concepts in cryptography, such as computational security, attacker models, and forward secrecy - The strengths and limitations of the TLS protocol behind HTTPS secure websites - Quantum computation and post-quantum cryptography - About various vulnerabilities by examining numerous code examples and use cases - How to choose the best algorithm or protocol and ask vendors the right questions Each chapter includes a discussion of common implementation mistakes using real-world examples and details what could go wrong and how to avoid these pitfalls. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or a beginner looking to dive into the field, Serious Cryptography will provide a complete survey of modern encryption and its applications.

A Practical Introduction to Modern Encryption

Serious Cryptography

Willi Meier

Raphael C.-W. Phan

Luca Henzen

This is a comprehensive description of the cryptographic hash function BLAKE, one of the five final contenders in the NIST SHA3 competition, and of BLAKE2, an improved version popular among developers. It describes how BLAKE was designed and why BLAKE2 was developed, and it offers guidelines on implementing and using BLAKE, with a focus on software implementation. In the first two chapters, the authors offer a short introduction to cryptographic hashing, the SHA3 competition and BLAKE. They review applications of cryptographic hashing, they describe some basic notions such as security definitions and state-of-the-art collision search methods and they present SHA1, SHA2 and the SHA3 finalists. In the chapters that follow, the authors give a complete description of the four instances BLAKE-256, BLAKE-512, BLAKE-224 and BLAKE-384; they describe applications of BLAKE, including simple hashing with or without a salt and HMAC and PBKDF2 constructions; they review implementation techniques, from portable C and Python to AVR assembly and vectorized code using SIMD CPU instructions; they describe BLAKE’s properties with respect to hardware design for implementation in ASICs or FPGAs; they explain BLAKE's design rationale in detail, from NIST’s requirements to the choice of internal parameters; they summarize the known security properties of BLAKE and describe the best attacks on reduced or modified variants; and they present BLAKE2, the successor of BLAKE, starting with motivations and also covering its performance and security aspects. The book concludes with detailed test vectors, a reference portable C implementation of BLAKE, and a list of third-party software implementations of BLAKE and BLAKE2. The book is oriented towards practice – engineering and craftsmanship – rather than theory. It is suitable for developers, engineers and security professionals engaged with BLAKE and cryptographic hashing in general and for applied cryptography researchers and students who need a consolidated reference and a detailed description of the design process, or guidelines on how to design a cryptographic algorithm.

The Hash Function BLAKE

Rigorous in its definitions yet easy to read, Crypto Dictionary covers the field of cryptography in an approachable, and sometimes humorous way. This book will become the go-to dictionary (and encyclopedia) for crypto novices and experts alike. It covers technical terms found in modern software analysis, such as "block cipher," while providing important context for historical references like the "crypto wars," sharing amusing anecdotes (ever heard of the "Hasty Pudding Cipher"?), and describing major conferences in the field, including Eurocrypt and Real World Crypto. Crypto Dictionary describes the field's most innovative techniques, like threshold cryptography, as well as those developed in the context of blockchain applications, in a broadly approachable way.

500 Cryptographic Tidbits for the Curious

Crypto Dictionary

Rigorous in its definitions yet easy to read, Crypto Dictionary covers the field of cryptography in an approachable, and sometimes humorous way. Expand your mind and your crypto knowledge with the ultimate desktop dictionary for all things cryptography. Written by a renowned cryptographer for experts and novices alike, Crypto Dictionary is rigorous in its definitions, yet easy to read and laced with humor. Flip to any random page to find something new, interesting, or mind-boggling, such as: • A survey of crypto algorithms both widespread and niche, from RSA and DES to the USSR’s GOST cipher • Trivia from the history of cryptography, such as the MINERVA backdoor in Crypto AG’s encryption algorithms • An explanation of why the reference to the Blowfish cipher in the TV show 24 makes absolutely no sense • Types of cryptographic protocols like zero-knowledge; security; and proofs of work, stake, and resource • A polemic against referring to cryptocurrency as “crypto” • Discussions of numerous cryptographic attacks, including slide and biclique The book also looks toward the future of cryptography, with discussions of the threat quantum computing poses to current cryptosystems and a nod to post-quantum algorithms, such as lattice-based cryptographic schemes. With hundreds of incisive entries organized alphabetically, Crypto Dictionary is the crypto go-to guide you’ll always want within reach.

Jean-Philippe Aumasson

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