Cryptographic Foundations: From Ancient Ciphers to Modern Cybersecurity

Description:

In an era defined by digital transformation, cyber warfare, and data sovereignty, Cryptographic Foundations: From Ancient Ciphers to Modern Cybersecurity delivers a graduate-level exploration of the core principles, mathematical theories, and applied technologies that secure modern information systems. This textbook is designed for graduate students, cybersecurity analysts, cryptographic engineers, and IT professionals who seek to master both the historical evolution and cutting-edge applications of cryptography in today's complex threat landscape. Grounded in the origins of secure communication—from Mesopotamian etchings to Enigma machines—the book contextualizes the progression of cryptographic thought before advancing into the theoretical constructs of modern-day algorithms. Students develop a deep understanding of key mathematical tools including modular arithmetic, finite fields, and computational hardness, which form the basis of symmetric and asymmetric encryption, digital signatures, and secure key exchange protocols. The text offers in-depth treatments of block ciphers like AES, public key systems such as RSA and ECC, and cryptographic hash functions used for message integrity and digital forensics.

Security is woven throughout every chapter, extending into practical discussions of authentication mechanisms, certificate infrastructures, secure communication protocols (TLS, VPN, SSH), and real-world cryptanalysis techniques including timing, padding, and side-channel attacks. As the narrative progresses, readers confront the challenges of quantum resilience, blockchain security, homomorphic encryption, and zero-knowledge proofs—bridging theoretical knowledge with future-oriented design considerations. In its final chapters, the book pivots to legal and ethical debates, including global encryption policy, responsible disclosure, civil liberties, and the cryptographer’s role in shaping public trust. Through this comprehensive journey, the book equips students with the analytical tools and critical thinking necessary to architect, evaluate, and defend cryptographic systems in both enterprise and societal contexts.

Key Features:

• Historical-to-modern coverage of cryptographic systems, from Caesar ciphers to quantum-safe encryption.
• Rigorous foundations in number theory, modular arithmetic, probability, and information theory.
• Deep dive into symmetric (AES, stream ciphers) and asymmetric (RSA, ECC) encryption schemes.
• Practical insights into cryptographic protocols like TLS, SSH, VPNs, and secure messaging frameworks.
• Advanced treatment of cryptanalysis techniques, side-channel attacks, and post-quantum cryptography.

Ideal For:

Graduate students in cybersecurity, computer science, and information assurance; cryptographic researchers; SOC and red team professionals seeking technical mastery; educators designing comprehensive security curriculum; and policy-focused technologists who want to bridge cryptographic practice with ethical governance and global security frameworks.

Walsh College Students: This is the required textbook for IT537: Cryptography

ISBN-13: 979-8-9988425-3-5

Format: E-Book