So, You Want to be a Cryptographer

Alex T-B writes "The legendary Bruce Schneier has written an excellent essay on what it means to be a cryptographer, and what it's really all about, namely mathematics. This is a welcome throwback to the more academic aspect of CS, and covers such aspects as which school to go to, and what to specialize in. Schneier is a titan of cryptography, and clearly shows just how far away script kiddies and 'elite' crackers are from understanding the concepts behind data encoding and cryptography. Surprising snippet: The easiest way to become a cryptography master is to get a PhD in that field. Should be an article to go in every copy of The Cryptonomicon, if you ask me."