A practical introduction to modern cryptography using the Transport Layer Security protocol as the primary reference

Key Features

• Learn about real-world cryptographic pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Understand past attacks on TLS, how these attacks worked, and how they were fixed
• Discover the inner workings of modern cryptography and its application within TLS
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

TLS is the most widely used cryptographic protocol today, enabling e-commerce, online banking, and secure online communication. TLS Cryptography in Depth will help you gain a deep understanding of how and why TLS works, how past attacks on TLS were possible, and how vulnerabilities that enabled them were addressed in the latest TLS version 1.3. By exploring the inner workings of TLS, you’ll be able to configure it and use it more securely. Starting with the basic concepts, you’ll be led step by step through the world of modern cryptography, guided by the TLS protocol. As you advance, you’ll be learning about the necessary mathematical concepts from scratch. Even seemingly arcane topics such as public-key cryptography based on elliptic curves will be explained with a view on real-world applications in TLS. With easy-to-understand concepts, you’ll find out how secret keys are generated and exchanged in TLS, and how they are used to create a secure channel between a client and a server. By the end of this book, you’ll have understood the inner workings of TLS and how to configure TLS servers securely. Moreover, you’ll have gained a deep knowledge of the cryptographic primitives that make up TLS and will be able to apply this knowledge in other security-related contexts.

What you will learn

• Understand TLS principles and protocols for secure internet communication
• Find out how cryptographic primitives are used within TLS V1.3
• Discover best practices for secure configuration and implementation of TLS
• Evaluate and select appropriate cipher suites for optimal security
• Get an in-depth understanding of common cryptographic vulnerabilities and ways to mitigate them
• Explore forward secrecy and its importance in maintaining confidentiality
• Understand TLS extensions and their significance in enhancing TLS functionality

Who this book is for

This book is for IT professionals, cybersecurity professionals, security engineers, cryptographers, software developers, and administrators looking to gain a solid understanding of TLS specifics and their relationship with cryptography. This book can also be used by computer science and computer engineering students to learn about key cryptographic concepts in a clear, yet rigorous way with its applications in TLS. There are no specific prerequisites, but a basic familiarity with programming and mathematics will be helpful.