Heavily revised and updated, the long-awaited second edition of Understanding Cryptography follows the unique approach of making modern cryptography accessible to a broad audience, requiring only a minimum of prior knowledge. After introducing basic cryptography concepts, this seminal textbook covers nearly all symmetric, asymmetric, and post-quantum cryptographic algorithms currently in use in applications—ranging from cloud computing and smart phones all the way to industrial systems, block chains, and cryptocurrencies.

Topics and features:

• Opens with a foreword by cryptography pioneer and Turing Award winner, Ron Rivest
• Helps develop a comprehensive understanding of modern applied cryptography
• Provides a thorough introduction to post-quantum cryptography consisting of the three standardized cipher families
• Includes for every chapter a comprehensive problem set, extensive examples, and a further-reading discussion
• Communicates, using a unique pedagogical approach, the essentials about foundations and use in practice, while keeping mathematics to a minimum
• Supplies up-to-date security parameters for all cryptographic algorithms
• Incorporates chapter reviews and discussion on such topics as historical and societal context

This must-have book is indispensable as a textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses, as well as for self-study by designers and engineers.

The authors have more than 20 years’ experience teaching cryptography at various universities in the US and Europe. In addition to being renowned scientists, they have extensive experience with applying cryptography in industry, from whichthey have drawn important lessons for their teaching.

“Since 2010, "Understanding Cryptography" has become a go-to textbook for IT security students and practitioners around the world. With the second edition, the book has received a comprehensive update, covering major developments of the last fifteen years such as post-quantum cryptosystems. I wholeheartedly recommend this textbook to everyone getting into the field of security and cryptography.” (David Oswald, Professor in Computer Security, University of Birmingham, UK)

“This is an excellent book for anybody who wants to learn about cryptography from an accessible source text. Engineers, practitioners, undergraduate and graduate students all can be introduced to cryptography by this book. That said the book has been updated and significantly extended to include newer schemes and advances topics such as post-quantum cryptography.” (Berk Sunar, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts, USA)

“Understanding Cryptography by Paar, Pelzl, and Güneysu provides an accessible introduction to cryptography that covers all of the main algorithms used in today's IT infrastructure.  The updates in the 2nd edition keep the book relevant in the fast-moving world of cryptography, and the addition of a chapter on post-quantum cryptography is a welcome introduction to the core techniques used in emerging post-quantum cryptography standards.” (Douglas Stebila, Associate Professor of Cryptography, University of Waterloo, CA)