Overview
Disappearing Cryptography, Second Edition describes how to take words, sounds, or images and hide them in digital data so they look like other words, sounds, or images. When used properly, this powerful technique makes it almost impossible to trace the author and the recipient of a message. Conversations can be submerged in the flow of information through the Internet so that no one can know if a conversation exists at all.
This full revision of the best-selling first edition describes a number of different techniques to hide information. These include encryption, making data incomprehensible; steganography, embedding information into video, audio, or graphics files; watermarking, hiding data in the noise of image or sound files; mimicry, "dressing up" data and making it appear to be other data, and more. The second edition also includes an expanded discussion on hiding information with spread-spectrum algorithms, shuffling tricks, and synthetic worlds. Each chapter is divided into sections, first providing an introduction and high-level summary for those who want to understand the concepts without wading through technical explanations, and then presenting greater detail for those who want to write their own programs. To encourage exploration, the author's Web site wayner.org/books/discrypt2/ contains implementations for hiding information in lists, sentences, and images.
Each chapter is divided into sections, providing first an introduction and high-level summary for those who want to understand the concepts without wading through technical details, and then an introductory set of details, for those who want to write their own programs. Fully revised and expanded.Covers key concepts for non-technical readers. Goes into technical details for those wanting to create their own programs and implement algorithms. Up-to-date website containing the code samples from the book.
Audience: General readers, Programmers, Cryptographers, Computer Scientists working in government and industry.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewAre Osama bin Laden and his buddies exchanging information hidden in the “digital noise” of photos or audio clips? That’s what the rumors say. So far the rumors are just rumors, but steganography -- the art of hiding information -- is rapidly gaining recognition as a key information security weapon. If bin Laden isn’t using it, the RIAA and MPAA likely will, to digitally watermark their music and movies.
If you want to understand how it works, start with Disappearing Cryptography, Second Edition. Peter Wayner explains each key concept and technique, including several new ones: locking hidden images so they can only be read by an authorized recipient; hiding messages simply by reordering lists (what’s really in tonight’s Letterman Top Ten?); and new “spread spectrum” techniques that draw on advanced concepts from wireless communications. He also introduces steganalysis, the science of identifying and compromising files that contain hidden messages. (Fortunately or unfortunately, many current stego algorithms are quite vulnerable.)
The book’s code samples -- previously written in Pascal -- have been recast in Java, making them far more accessible (one’s even online at Wayner’s site, www.wayner.org/texts/mimic/, so you can try it for yourself right now). (Bill Camarda)
Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.