Cracking Codes with Python An Introduction to Building and Breaking Ciphers
Cracking Codes with Python: An Introduction to Building and Breaking Ciphers by Al Sweigart, published by No Starch Press on January 23, 2018, is an illustrated guide that teaches readers how to program in Python through the lens of cryptography. This 416-page book provides a structured approach to understanding and creating algorithms used for encrypting and decrypting messages, starting from basic concepts and advancing to more complex techniques.
Readers will find a hands-on experience as they learn to create, test, and hack programs that utilize classical ciphers, including the transposition and Vigenère ciphers. The book includes complete code examples with detailed explanations, allowing readers to grasp the mechanics behind each program. Topics covered include the use of loops, variables, and flow control statements, as well as methods for breaking ciphers through brute-force and frequency analysis. This edition serves as both an introduction to Python programming and a practical exploration of cryptography and security.
Official synopsis Publisher
Learn how to program in Python while making and breaking ciphers—algorithms used to create and send secret messages!
After a crash course in Python programming basics, you’ll learn to make, test, and hack programs that encrypt text with classical ciphers like the transposition cipher and Vigenère cipher. You’ll begin with simple programs for the reverse and Caesar ciphers and then work your way up to public key cryptography, the type of encryption used to secure today’s online transactions, including digital signatures, email, and Bitcoin.
Each program includes the full code and a line-by-line explanation of how things work. By the end of the book, you’ll have learned how to code in Python and you’ll have the clever programs to prove it!
You’ll also learn how to:
– Combine loops, variables, and flow control statements into real working programs
– Use dictionary files to instantly detect whether decrypted messages are valid English or gibberish
– Create test programs to make sure that your code encrypts and decrypts correctly
– Code (and hack!) a working example of the affine cipher, which uses modular arithmetic to encrypt a message
– Break ciphers with techniques such as brute-force and frequency analysis
There’s no better way to learn to code than to play with real programs. Cracking Codes with Python makes the learning fun!
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