Cryptography InfoSec Pro Guide

Book description

Security Smarts for the Self-Guided IT Professional

This complete, practical resource for security and IT professionals presents the underpinnings of cryptography and features examples of how security is improved industry-wide by encryption techniques. Cryptography: InfoSec Pro Guide provides you with an actionable, rock-solid foundation in encryption and will demystify even a few of the more challenging concepts in the field. From high-level topics such as ciphers, algorithms and key exchange, to practical applications such as digital signatures and certificates, the book delivers working tools to data storage architects, security mangers, and others security practitioners who need to possess a thorough understanding of cryptography.

True to the hallmarks of all InfoSec Pro Guides, the book imparts the hard-learned lessons and experiences of knowledgeable professionals in security, providing know-how that otherwise takes years to learn. You’re led through the Why and How of cryptography, the history of the science, the components of cryptography and how it is applied to various areas in the field of security.

  • Challenging crypto puzzles in every chapter
  • Ready-to-implement cryptographic techniques explained
  • Lingo—Common security terms defined so that you’re in the know on the job
  • IMHO—Frank and relevant opinions based on the author’s years of industry experience
  • Budget Note—Tips for getting security technologies and processes into your organization’s budget
  • In Actual Practice—Exceptions to the rules of security explained in real-world contexts
  • Your Plan—Customizable checklists you can use on the job now
  • Into Action—Tips on how, why, and when to apply new skills and techniques at work

Table of contents

  1. Cover 
  2. About the Author
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Contents 
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Introduction
  8. Chapter 1: The Language of Cryptography
    1. Fundamentals of Cryptography
    2. Things to Know Upfront About Encryption
    3. The Process of Encryption: A Closer Look
      1. Encryption
      2. Plaintext
      3. Ciphertext
      4. Algorithms and Ciphers
      5. Keys
    4. Putting It All Together
    5. We’ve Covered
  9. Chapter 2: History of Cryptography
    1. Cryptography Overview
    2. What Is Cryptography?
    3. History of Cryptography
    4. Modern Cryptography
    5. We’ve Covered
  10. Chapter 3: Components of Cryptography
    1. Cryptography: Taking a Look Back and Looking Forward
      1. Encryption
      2. Visiting an Old Friend
      3. Dissecting the Caesar Cipher
    2. We’ve Covered
  11. Chapter 4: Algorithms and Ciphers
    1. A High-Level Look at Algorithms
    2. Symmetric Algorithms
      1. Common Symmetric Algorithms
      2. So What’s the Key?
      3. Don’t Forget Your Key
      4. Don’t Cross the Streams, You Block… Head
      5. One-Time Pad
      6. Which Is Better, Getting Hit with a Block or Drowning in a Stream?
    3. Asymmetric/Public-Key Cryptography
    4. We’ve Covered
  12. Chapter 5: Hashing and Message Digests
    1. Fundamentals of Hashing
    2. A Closer Look
      1. Hashing Algorithms
    3. Applications of Hashing
    4. Breaking Hashes and “Kicking Hash”
      1. Lookup Tables
      2. Rainbow Tables
      3. Adding a Pinch of Salt
    5. We’ve Covered
  13. Chapter 6: Cryptanalysis and Code Breaking
    1. Setting Things Straight
    2. A Look at Cryptanalysis and Code Breaking
    3. How it Works, Breaking the Codes
      1. The Basics
    4. We’ve Covered
  14. Chapter 7: Public Key Infrastructure
    1. So What Is PKI?
      1. Symmetric Encryption
    2. Asymmetric Encryption
    3. Hashing
    4. Digital Certificates
      1. Authenticating the Certificate
    5. Enter the PKI System
      1. So What Is a Certification Authority?
      2. Building a PKI Structure
      3. After PKI Has Been Set Up
      4. PKI in Action
    6. Digital Signatures
    7. We’ve Covered
  15. Chapter 8: Steganography
    1. Steganography Overview
    2. Steganography: A Brief History
    3. So Why Steganography?
    4. How Does Steganography Work?
      1. Steganography in Audio
      2. Steganography in Video
      3. Steganography in Documents
      4. Null Ciphers
      5. Steganography on Hard Drives
    5. Steganalysis: Detecting Hidden Information
      1. Other Methods
    6. Tools in Use
    7. We’ve Covered
  16. Chapter 9: Applied Cryptography
    1. Less Theory, More Practical
      1. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
      2. Digital Signatures
      3. Hashes
      4. Automated Teller Machines
      5. Drive Encryption
    2. We’ve Covered
  17. Chapter 10: Quantum Cryptography
    1. So What Is Quantum Cryptography?
      1. Traditional Cryptography: A Quick Review
      2. Finding a Solution via Quantum Mechanics
    2. So How Does Quantum Cryptography Work?
      1. Photons as Information Carriers
      2. But What About Eavesdropping?
    3. So There Have to Be Problems, Right?
    4. We’ve Covered
  18. Chapter 11: The Future of Cryptography
    1. Where Are We Now?
    2. Personal Data Requirements
    3. What About the Law?
      1. The Law and Encryption
    4. Military, Government, and the Individual
      1. Key Escrow
    5. Embedded Cryptography
    6. We’ve Covered
  19. Glossary
  20. Index

Product information

  • Title: Cryptography InfoSec Pro Guide
  • Author(s): Sean-Philip Oriyano
  • Release date: August 2013
  • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill
  • ISBN: 9780071794268