[CRYPTO] Classic Cryptography

[Brian D Williams <talon57@well.com>]

                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                       6 February 1997


Aegean Park Press proudly announces publication of CLASSICAL
CRYPTOGRAPHY COURSE - VOLUME II by Randall K. Nichols
[LANAKI]. [ISBN: 0-89412-264-9, 1997, 464 pages, $US 40.80 ]
 
Volume II presents Lectures 11 - 22 (of a total of
twenty five) from his successful course in Classical
Cryptography taught in 1995 and 1996 to 391 students via
the Internet and an additional 65 via regular mail.

Volume II covers polyalphabetic substitutions ciphers in
the Vigenere family (Viggy, Variant, Beaufort, Porta,
Gronsfeld, Portax, Gromark), decimation, principles of
symmetry, isologs and superimposition solution
techniques.  Volume II describes the difficult aperiodic
cipher systems (Interrupted key, Autoclave, Progressive,
Running Key used in cipher machines) and their analysis
by isomorphs, and repetitions. Cryptarithm solutions for
extended bases are presented. The theory of coincidences
and statistical attacks (Kappa, Chi, Phi) derived from
this important theory are detailed.  Transposition
theory and a variety of transposition ciphers are solved
(Columnar, Amsco, Myszkowski, Cadenus, Grille, Swagman,
Auto-Transposition).  Volume II has two chapters on the
difficult cipher systems invented by the famous French
cryptographer Delastelle: Foursquare, Bifid and Trifid.
Volume II presents a detailed chapter on passwords, law
and data protection.  Volume II ends with a historical
look at codes, commercial code systems, and famous
cipher machines.  Volume II is a potpourri of advanced
topics in classical cryptography.

The Cryptographic Resources and References section has
been expanded to cover all phases of involvement with
cryptography: cryptanalysis, history, legal, social,
classical, modern, NSA, mathematical techniques,
recreational, intelligence, tactical, strategic,
National Defense, INFOSEC: offensive and defensive,
hardware, software, standards, public key cryptography,
web sources, and applicable Senate and House bills.
Readers are encouraged to expand their knowledge in the
many directions possible to them through this section.
 
For orders or Information Contact: Aegean Park Press, P.O.
Box 2837, Laguna Hills, Ca. 92654. Telephone: 1-800-736-3587;
Fax: 1-714-586-8269.  Group discounts available.
 







REVIEW OF CLASSICAL CRYPTOGRAPHY COURSE, VOLUME I
By the Honorable David Kennedy, Director of Research,
NCSA.


     Classical Cryptography Course, Volume I.  By
Randall K. Nichols; published by Aegean Park Press,
(714) 586-8811 (phone) (714) 586-8269 (fax); (800) 736
- 3587; 301 pages (with index); $34.80 (American
Cryptogram Association members receive a 20% discount
through ACA or NCSA Members receive a 10% discount if
purchased from the NCSA Bookstore)

     In Classical Cryptography Course, Volume I, author
Randall K. Nichols has created a benchmark for serious
students of the science of cryptography.  This is a
text.  It is for learning, and with it one cannot help
but learn about the foundations of the science.  An
outgrowth of Nichols' admitted "labor of love" in the
online Cryptography Courses he teaches over the
Internet, Volume I creates the foundation for
understanding the development of the science.

     The ten chapters of this volume lead the student
through simple substitutions, substitutions with
variants, multiliteral substitutions, xenocrypts
(foreign language substitutions), cryptarithms, the
Enigma machine (separate Enigma95 program disk available
direct from the author) and finally to polyalphabetic
substitutions.  Seven chapters conclude with problems;
solutions and discussions are provided in an appendix.
The text is indexed with twenty-four pages of references
for further study.

     I found Nichols' sense of the history of
cryptography particularly noteworthy.  The volume is
liberally salted with citations from history with
applications of the methods developed in the text.  From
Revolutionary France through the American Civil War, the
Tammany Hall scandal, Revolutionary Soviet ciphers and
Japanese successes against Chinese codes prior to Pearl
Harbor, the text provides touchstones for student to
understand and relate to.

     Phil Zimmermann observed in the documentation to
his Pretty Good Privacy Program to "Beware of Snake
Oil." Among his arguments is this anecdote:

     I remember a conversation with Brian Snow, a highly
placed senior cryptographer with the NSA.  He said he
would never trust an encryption algorithm designed by
someone who had not "earned their bones" by first
spending a lot of time cracking codes.

     Where Schneier's Applied Cryptography is a crash
course in some encryption protocols and algorithms in
use today, Nichols' text begins the teaching of Snake
Oil detection and prevention.
Learning the fundamentals, developed throughout the
text, brings a richer understanding of the science, it's
history and insight into it's possibilities and some
vulnerabilities lurking for the unwary.

     Nichols plans for release Volume II in the series
with advanced material on from the online course which
includes statistical attacks and transposition in
February, 1997.

Reviewer:  Dave Kennedy, CISSP, is Director of Research
for the National Computer Security Association,
Carlisle, PA.  He is a retired Army military police
officer and member of NCSA, ASIS, ISSA and the Computer
Security Institute.