Cryptography, in particular public-key cryptography, has emerged in the last 20 years as an important discipline that is not only the subject of an enormous amount of research, but provides the foundation for information security in many applications. Standards are emerging to meet the demands for cryptographic protection in most areas of data communications. Public-key cryptographic techniques are now in widespread use, especially in the financial services industry, in the public sector, and by individuals for their personal privacy, such as in electronic mail. This Handbook will serve as a valuable reference for the novice as well as for the expert who needs a wider scope of coverage within the area of cryptography. It is a necessary and timely guide for professionals who practice the art of cryptography. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography provides a treatment that is multifunctional:

Appropriate for all graduate-level and advanced undergraduate courses in cryptography and related mathematical fields. Modern Cryptography is an indispensable resource for every advanced student of cryptography who intends to implement strong security in real-world applications. Leading HP security expert Wenbo Mao explains why conventional crypto schemes, protocols, and systems are profoundly vulnerable, introducing both fundamental theory and real-world attacks. Next, he shows how to implement crypto systems that are truly "fit for application," and formally demonstrate their fitness. He begins by reviewing the foundations of cryptography: probability, information theory, computational complexity, number theory, algebraic techniques, and more. He presents the "ideal" principles of authentication, comparing them with real-world implementation. Mao assesses the strength of IPSec, IKE, SSH, SSL, TLS, Kerberos, and other standards, and offers practical guidance on designing stronger crypto schemes and using formal methods to prove their security and efficiency.Finally, he presents an in-depth introduction to zero-knowledge protocols: their characteristics, development, arguments, and proofs. Mao relies on practical examples throughout, and provides all the mathematical background students will need.