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Handbook of Applied Cryptography

Posted by michael on from the complete-from-adelman-to-zimmerman dept.

cconnell writes "The Handbook of Applied Cryptography is now available free (for personal use) on the Internet. This is a $100 book. Note also the companion C source code for most of the crypto algorithms, written by James Pate Williams. There is some very cool code here!"

5 of 35 comments (clear)

  1. It's been available for years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Online, free, for years.

    Really. This is not news.

  2. Hmmm, the same people that screwed E.W. by curious.corn · · Score: 2, Informative

    Well, well, this comes to me as a surprise. Isn't CRC press the same company that screwed Eric Weisstein over his online math resource (a must, although I find it a bit too sinthetic sometimes)

    There must be powerful 'tectonic drift' stresses in those corporate offices ;-) but at least we know there are some 'good guys' trying to play fair and confronting the rapacious faction.

    Ciao,
    Edo

    --
    Mi domando chi à il mandante di tutte le cazzate che faccio - Altan
    1. Re:Hmmm, the same people that screwed E.W. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Well, well, this comes to me as a surprise. Isn't CRC press the same company that screwed Eric Weisstein over his online math resource

      Yes it was. Actually, I'm quite sure HAC was online for free well before that whole thing with the math site (or at least before I heard about it). I remember about 3 years ago, around half of the book was available online. Maybe 1.5 - 2 years, the whole thing went up.

      The only thing I'm suprised about is that this got posted. Sheesh. I'm pretty sure anyone who cared already knew.

  3. It's been free by DeadSea · · Score: 4, Informative
    It's been free for some time now. I downloaded it and read it about a year and a half ago.

    The first chapter is great. It gives a general overview of how cryptograhy works and how it can be defeated. It is somewhat technical, but it doesn't use formulas so it reads easily. If you don't know why security certificates on web sites need to be signed, or why accepting an unsigned certificate could be bad, I would highly recommend reading it. It also shows how different cryptography methods work in general and gives the stengths and weaknesses of each.

    Beyond the first chapter things get a little bit hairy. I have a degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics and much of the math is over my head, or at the very least required several reads. If you are implementing cryptography algorithms I'm sure it is a must read, but for somebody, like me, who is more interested in applications of cryptography, I'd recommend skipping.

  4. A must-have. by rjh · · Score: 4, Informative
    I work in the information security field--or, rather, don't work since I'm unemployed in the tech downturn--and I'm looking at the Handbook of Applied Cryptography right now. It's a pale green tome, a little larger than Schneier's Applied Cryptography (which is standing behind it on the bookshelf). Here's how I would rate the two:
    • AC is by far more readable; HoAC is by far more correct and information-dense.
    • AC gives a very superficial coverage of the material; HoAC could be used as a textbook for a college math course. When I need a quick reminder of what some common RSA exponents are, I pull down AC. When I need in-depth information, I pull down HoAC.
    • AC is easier to navigate.
    • AC makes better leisure reading; HoAC is extremely dry and terse.
    Short answer: if you think you know beans about crypto just because you've read through Applied Cryptography... well, you don't. Read through the Handbook until you can understand and follow all the math that they use, and then you can honestly call yourself a cryptonerd. :)