Expert codebreakers Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh introduce you to the world of breaking encrypted texts, whether by hand or using the many free computer tools available today. Each chapter introduces you to a specific cryptographic technique and presents many real-life examples of text encrypted using that scheme, from modern postcards to nineteenth-century newspaper ads, war-time telegrams, notes smuggled into prisons, and even entire encrypted books.

You'll learn how to:

• Crack simple substitution ciphers, polyalphabetic ciphers, transposition ciphers, dictionary codes, and more

• Use free online cryptanalysis software, like CrypTool 2, to aid your analysis

• Identify clues and patterns to figure out what encryption scheme is being used