Rating: 
Summary: Good But A Bit Rough
Review: * The title of H.X. Mel and Doris Baker's CRYPTOGRAPHY DECRYPTED is a
bit misleading, implying that this is a book on general cryptography.
This isn't exactly the case; while it does have a survey of the
history of cryptography, it is actually focused on digital / Internet
cryptography, explaining such matters as public-key cryptography,
digital certificates, Internet security, and so on.There is a great deal of very good information in this book, but it
suffers from a certain lack of focus. It's basically set up as an
introductory sort of book, but despite the attempts of the authors to
simplify things for beginners, it comes across as a little too stiff
and difficult for a novice. Crypto is of course difficult, but the
authors just don't seem to have the ability to really make things
simple. It reads much like the "typical computer sort of book". I get the impression that they never really handed it to a real novice
to see where the text gets a blank look. For example, I kept
wondering what the difference is between a "MAC" and a "hashed MAC" --
doesn't a MAC imply use of a hash, thinks I? -- but though I went
over the text repeatedly I couldn't do more than guess in the end. So I can only guardedly recommend this book. It's not really
appropriate for a novice, but should be useful for an intermediate
crypto fan interested in Internet cryptography -- with the conditions
that it can be difficult to mine information out of it and that there
are dead ends here and there.
Rating: 
Summary: The Mystery de-mystified!
Review: A quick read that ties the whole subject together. Crippies and engineers beware this simplified version is fun while still being instructive - and includes IPSEC. If you are overwhelmed with vendors and acronyms this book can help you sort out the "wheat from the chaff".
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction
Review: As a future lawyer intending to specialize in information security law and related areas, I'm always on the lookout for books I can recommend to introduce people to the fascinating field of cryptography and its applications in information security. This is one of the best I've seen. If you want to learn how to use cryptography yourself, you'll want Bruce Schneier's marvelous _Applied Cryptography_ at some point. But if you want to find out what the fuss is about and what, exactly, cryptography has to do with information security, you'll find this introduction very, very helpful. What's nice about it is that it not only gives you a fairly painless introduction to the essential concepts of cryptography, but also informs you in a reliable way about the importance of cryptographic protocols in electronic information exchange. It starts at the beginning _and_ gets you through to the meaty infosec stuff; even if you're an absolute beginner, by the time you reach the bits about e.g. digital certificates and public key cryptography and secure email and so forth, you'll actually be in a position to understand it. Highly recommended to lawyers, law students, and other infosec newbies.
Rating:
Summary: Not just for nerds and the military anymore
Review: Cryptography Decrypted is perhaps the best introduction to current cryptography available. It covers everything you'd expect from a cryptography book (symmetric key, public key, MACs, SSL, IPsec) but does so using pictures. Nearly every page has a friendly diagram explaining otherwise complicated details, all without cheapening the content. No mathematical background is required, but you'll pick up some number theory by the time you've finished reading it. A co-worker of mine who bought the book said "My spouse could understand this!". Cryptography Decrypted is for anyone who likes to learn on their own, or for security folks that find themselves regularly explaining cryptography to less technical individuals.
Rating:
Summary: Cryptography Decrypted
Review: Cryptography Decrypted shows you how to safeguard digital possessions. It is a clear, comprehensible, and practical guide to the essentials of computer cryptography, from Caesar's Cipher through modern-day public key. Cryptographic capabilities like detecting imposters and stopping eavesdropping are thoroughly illustrated with easy-to-understand analogies, visuals, and historical sidebars. Divided into four parts, the book explains secret keys and secret key methods like DES, public and private keys, and public key methods like RSA; how keys are distributed through digital certificates; and three real-world systems. Numerous graphics illustrate and clarify common cryptographic terminology throughout.
Rating:
Summary: Gran Libro
Review: Este libro es recomendado para aquellas personas que tienen intereses en la criptografia pero que no poseen grandes conocimentos de teoría de números ni de álgebra. Casi todos los algoritmos tanto clásicos como los modernos están detallados en esta edición, por lo tanto lo recomiendo ampliamente.
Rating:
Summary: Very good!
Review: Excellent book for everyone.
And very very helpful for someone who is confused by crypto.
This book makes the basic crypto concepts easy to understand.
Very good book.
Rating:
Summary: Good first book on security
Review: Excellent book for people who want to understand in nutshell what security is all about. If you are overwhelmed by several security terms and want to know how things fit in a bigger picture, this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Cryptography Introduction -- (almost) NO MATH
Review: I am a masters student studying computer science. This is absolutely the BEST introduction to cryptographic technology that I've seen. You do not need a math degree to read and understand this book! It explains complicated mathematical manipulations clearly and precisely in plain English. If you've looked at other texts and given up hope understanding how cryptography works because you weren't able to understand the math, this book is your salvation. "Cryptography Decrypted" has only 1 chapter (# 11) where you are required to understand some mathematical concepts, but even those concepts are clearly explained. There is an additional 50+ page appendix that goes into more mathematical detail for those so inclined. If you read this book, you will understand how modern day cryptography works and how cryptanalysts (and hackers) attempt to break encrypted messages. (This is not an algorithms or programming book.)
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Cryptography Introduction -- (almost) NO MATH
Review: I am a masters student studying computer science. This is absolutely the BEST introduction to cryptographic technology that I've seen. You do not need a math degree to read and understand this book! It explains complicated mathematical manipulations clearly and precisely in plain English. If you've looked at other texts and given up hope understanding how cryptography works because you weren't able to understand the math, this book is your salvation. "Cryptography Decrypted" has only 1 chapter (# 11) where you are required to understand some mathematical concepts, but even those concepts are clearly explained. There is an additional 50+ page appendix that goes into more mathematical detail for those so inclined. If you read this book, you will understand how modern day cryptography works and how cryptanalysts (and hackers) attempt to break encrypted messages. (This is not an algorithms or programming book.)
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