Implementing Cryptography Using Python

Learn to deploy proven cryptographic tools in your applications and services
 
Cryptography is, quite simply, what makes security and privacy in the digital world possible. Tech professionals, including programmers, IT admins, and security analysts, need to understand how cryptography works to protect users, data, and assets. Implementing Cryptography Using Python will teach you the essentials, so you can apply proven cryptographic tools to secure your applications and systems. Because this book uses Python, an easily accessible language that has become one of the standards for cryptography implementation, you'll be able to quickly learn how to secure applications and data of all kinds.
 
In this easy-to-read guide, well-known cybersecurity expert Shannon Bray walks you through creating secure communications in public channels using public-key cryptography. You'll also explore methods of authenticating messages to ensure that they haven't been tampered with in transit. Finally, you'll learn how to use digital signatures to let others verify the messages sent through your services.
* Learn how to implement proven cryptographic tools, using easy-to-understand examples written in Python
* Discover the history of cryptography and understand its critical importance in today's digital communication systems
* Work through real-world examples to understand the pros and cons of various authentication methods
* Protect your end-users and ensure that your applications and systems are using up-to-date cryptography

List of contents

Introduction xvii
 
Chapter 1 Introduction to Cryptography and Python 1
 
Exploring Algorithms 2
 
Why Use Python? 2
 
Downloading and Installing Python 3
 
Installing on Ubuntu 4
 
Installing on macOS 4
 
Installing on Windows 4
 
Installing on a Chromebook 4
 
Installing Additional Packages 5
 
Installing Pip, NumPy, and Matplotlib 6
 
Installing the Cryptography Package 7
 
Installing Additional Packages 8
 
Testing Your Install 9
 
Diving into Python Basics 9
 
Using Variables 10
 
Using Strings 11
 
Introducing Operators 11
 
Understanding Arithmetic Operators 11
 
Understanding Comparison Operators 13
 
Understanding Logical Operators 13
 
Understanding Assignment Operators 14
 
Understanding Bitwise Operators 15
 
Understanding Membership Operators 15
 
Understanding Identity Operators 16
 
Using Conditionals 16
 
Using Loops 17
 
for 17
 
while 18
 
continue 18
 
break 18
 
else 18
 
Using Files 19
 
Understanding Python Semantics 20
 
Sequence Types 20
 
Introducing Custom Functions 26
 
Downloading Files Using Python 27
 
Introducing Python Modules 28
 
Creating a Reverse Cipher 29
 
Summary 30
 
Chapter 2 Cryptographic Protocols and Perfect Secrecy 31
 
The Study of Cryptology 32
 
Understanding Cryptography 32
 
Cryptography's Famous Family: Alice and Bob 33
 
Diffie-Hellman 34
 
Data Origin Authentication 34
 
Entity Authentication 35
 
Symmetric Algorithms 36
 
Asymmetric Algorithms 36
 
The Needham-Schroeder Protocols 36
 
The Otway-Rees Protocol 38
 
Kerberos 39
 
Multiple-Domain Kerberos 40
 
X.509 41
 
Formal Validation of Cryptographic Protocols 46
 
Configuring Your First Cryptographic Library 47
 
Understanding Cryptanalysis 47
 
Brute-Force Attacks 47
 
Side-Channel Attacks 48
 
Social Engineering 48
 
Analytical Attacks 48
 
Frequency Analysis 48
 
Attack Models 49
 
Shannon's Theorem 50
 
One-Time Pad 51
 
XOR, AND, and OR 51
 
One-Time Pad Function 56
 
One-Way Hashes 58
 
Cryptographic One-Way Hashes 59
 
Message Authentication Codes 60
 
Perfect Forward Secrecy 60
 
Published and Proprietary Encryption Algorithms 61
 
Summary 62
 
References 62
 
Chapter 3 Classical Cryptography 65
 
Password Best Practices 66
 
Password Storage 66
 
Hashing Passwords 67
 
Salting Passwords 67
 
Stretching Passwords 68
 
Password Tools 68
 
Obfuscating Data 69
 
ASCII Encoding 70
 
Base64 Encoding Text 70
 
Binary Data 72
 
Decoding 72
 
Historical Ciphers 72
 
Scytale of Sparta 73
 
Substitution Ciphers 73
 
Caesar Cipher 74
 
ROT-13 76
 
Atbash Cipher 77
 
Vigenère Cipher 77
 
Playfair 79
 
Hill 2x2 83
 
Column Transposition 87
 
Affine Cipher 90
 
Summary 93
 
Chapter 4 Cryptographic Math and Frequency Analysis 95
 
Modular Arithmetic and the Greatest Common Devisor 96
 
Prime Numbers 97
 
Prime Number Theorem 98
 
School Primality Test 98
 
Fermat's Little Theorem 100
 
Miller-Rabin Primalit

About the author

SHANNON W. BRAY CASP, Security +, CISM is the Virtual CISO at Secured Systems providing clients guidance on establishing and maintaining information security plans, policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines using accepted frameworks. He has worked in this roles and others in corporations and federal agencies. Shannon has an MS in Cybersecurity from the University of Delaware. Prior to transitioning to cybersecurity, he was a well known IT expert with several successful books about Microsoft SharePoint.

Summary

Learn to deploy proven cryptographic tools in your applications and services

Cryptography is, quite simply, what makes security and privacy in the digital world possible. Tech professionals, including programmers, IT admins, and security analysts, need to understand how cryptography works to protect users, data, and assets. Implementing Cryptography Using Python will teach you the essentials, so you can apply proven cryptographic tools to secure your applications and systems. Because this book uses Python, an easily accessible language that has become one of the standards for cryptography implementation, you'll be able to quickly learn how to secure applications and data of all kinds.

In this easy-to-read guide, well-known cybersecurity expert Shannon Bray walks you through creating secure communications in public channels using public-key cryptography. You'll also explore methods of authenticating messages to ensure that they haven't been tampered with in transit. Finally, you'll learn how to use digital signatures to let others verify the messages sent through your services.
* Learn how to implement proven cryptographic tools, using easy-to-understand examples written in Python
* Discover the history of cryptography and understand its critical importance in today's digital communication systems
* Work through real-world examples to understand the pros and cons of various authentication methods
* Protect your end-users and ensure that your applications and systems are using up-to-date cryptography

Product details

• Authors: S Bray, Shannon Bray, Shannon W Bray, Shannon W. Bray
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.06.2020
• EAN: 9781119612209
• ISBN: 978-1-119-61220-9
• No. of pages: 304
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > IT, data processing > IT; Social sciences, law, business > Media, communication > Communication science; Computersicherheit, Informatik, Python (Programmiersprache), Kryptographie, computer science, Computer Security & Cryptography, Computersicherheit u. Kryptographie