In today's extensively wired world, cryptology is vital for guarding
communication channels, databases, and software from intruders.
Increased processing and communications speed, rapidly broadening access
and multiplying storage capacity tend to make systems less secure over
time, and security becomes a race against the relentless creativity of
the unscrupulous. The revised and extended third edition of this classic
reference work on cryptology offers a wealth of new technical and
biographical details. The book presupposes only elementary mathematical
knowledge. Spiced with exciting, amusing, and sometimes personal
accounts from the history of cryptology, it will interest general a
broad readership.