Handbook of applied cryptography / Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. van Oorschot, Scott A. Vanstone

This is an encyclopedic volume on the current status of the theory and practice of modern cryptography. The nature of cryptography and cryptographic protocols are fully presented, giving both a thorough treatment of the underlying theory and the practicalities of implementation. Thus both lower level topics such as random number generation and efficient implementation of number theoretic algorithms as well as more theoretical topics as zero-knowledge proofs, are given extensive treatment. The material has what the authors refer to as a functional organization where material of interest to an end user, such as authentication, is addressed in a single chapter. This is as opposed to what might be termed an academic organization where systems and protocols depending on the same concept, such as zero-knowledge, might be given in a single chapter. The material is exceptionally well organized and thoroughly treated. As Professor Rivest notes in his Foreword, "I am happy to ... inform the reader that he/she is looking at a landmark in the development of the field." The volume is a major contribution to the field of cryptography that will be serve as the standard reference for both theoretical researchers and practitioners alike for the foreseeable future. (Zentralblatt)

Bibliogr. p. 663-702 et 703-754. Index