Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads

Secondary Education


Guides
Collections
News
(0)
Wish List (0)
Wish List
Download high-resolution image

Cracking Codes with Python

An Introduction to Building and Breaking Ciphers

Author Al Sweigart
Ebook
No Starch | No Starch Press
On sale Jan 23, 2018 | 416 Pages | 9781593278694
Reading Level: Lexile 1150L
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies
See Additional Formats
Learn how to program in Python while making and breaking ciphers—algorithms used to create and send secret messages! 

After a crash course in Python programming basics, you’ll learn to make, test, and hack programs that encrypt text with classical ciphers like the transposition cipher and Vigenère cipher. You’ll begin with simple programs for the reverse and Caesar ciphers and then work your way up to public key cryptography, the type of encryption used to secure today’s online transactions, including digital signatures, email, and Bitcoin.

Each program includes the full code and a line-by-line explanation of how things work. By the end of the book, you’ll have learned how to code in Python and you’ll have the clever programs to prove it!

You’ll also learn how to:

- Combine loops, variables, and flow control statements into real working programs
- Use dictionary files to instantly detect whether decrypted messages are valid English or gibberish
- Create test programs to make sure that your code encrypts and decrypts correctly
- Code (and hack!) a working example of the affine cipher, which uses modular arithmetic to encrypt a message
- Break ciphers with techniques such as brute-force and frequency analysis

There’s no better way to learn to code than to play with real programs. Cracking Codes with Python makes the learning fun!
Al Sweigart is a professional software developer who teaches programming to kids and adults. He is the author of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, and Scratch Programming Playground, also from No Starch Press. His programming tutorials can be found at inventwithpython.com.
Al Sweigart View titles by Al Sweigart
Introduction

Chapter 1: Making Paper Cryptography Tools
Chapter 2: Installing Python
Chapter 3: The Interactive Shell
Chapter 4: Strings and Writing Programs
Chapter 5: The Reverse Cipher
Chapter 6: The Caesar Cipher
Chapter 7: Hacking the Caesar Cipher with the Brute-Force Technique
Chapter 8: Encrypting with the Transposition Cipher
Chapter 9: Decrypting with the Transposition Cipher
Chapter 10: Programming a Program to Test Our Program
Chapter 11: Encrypting and Decrypting Files
Chapter 12: Detecting English Programmatically
Chapter 13: Hacking the Transposition Cipher
Chapter 14: Making a Modular Arithmetic Module for the Multiplicative and Affine Ciphers
Chapter 15: Programming the Affine Cipher
Chapter 16: Hacking the Affine Cipher
Chapter 17: The Simple Substitution Cipher
Chapter 18: Hacking the Simple Substitution Cipher
Chapter 19: The Vigenere Cipher
Chapter 20: Frequency Analysis
Chapter 21: Hacking the Viginere Cipher
Chapter 22: The One-Time Pad Cipher
Chapter 23: Finding Prime Numbers
Chapter 24: Generating Keys for the RSA Cipher
Chapter 25: Public Key Cryptography and Programming the RSA Cipher

Appendix: Debugger
“Definitely worth the read even as an experienced Python developer. I learned more about cryptography and even a few new Python tricks.”
—Ray Doyle, The Ethical Hacker Network

“I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn Python/programming and is interested in security or puzzles.”
—Jeanne Boyarsky, Code Ranch

“A fantastic programming and cryptography course for any high school-aged child.”
—The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

About

Learn how to program in Python while making and breaking ciphers—algorithms used to create and send secret messages! 

After a crash course in Python programming basics, you’ll learn to make, test, and hack programs that encrypt text with classical ciphers like the transposition cipher and Vigenère cipher. You’ll begin with simple programs for the reverse and Caesar ciphers and then work your way up to public key cryptography, the type of encryption used to secure today’s online transactions, including digital signatures, email, and Bitcoin.

Each program includes the full code and a line-by-line explanation of how things work. By the end of the book, you’ll have learned how to code in Python and you’ll have the clever programs to prove it!

You’ll also learn how to:

- Combine loops, variables, and flow control statements into real working programs
- Use dictionary files to instantly detect whether decrypted messages are valid English or gibberish
- Create test programs to make sure that your code encrypts and decrypts correctly
- Code (and hack!) a working example of the affine cipher, which uses modular arithmetic to encrypt a message
- Break ciphers with techniques such as brute-force and frequency analysis

There’s no better way to learn to code than to play with real programs. Cracking Codes with Python makes the learning fun!

Author

Al Sweigart is a professional software developer who teaches programming to kids and adults. He is the author of Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, and Scratch Programming Playground, also from No Starch Press. His programming tutorials can be found at inventwithpython.com.
Al Sweigart View titles by Al Sweigart

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Making Paper Cryptography Tools
Chapter 2: Installing Python
Chapter 3: The Interactive Shell
Chapter 4: Strings and Writing Programs
Chapter 5: The Reverse Cipher
Chapter 6: The Caesar Cipher
Chapter 7: Hacking the Caesar Cipher with the Brute-Force Technique
Chapter 8: Encrypting with the Transposition Cipher
Chapter 9: Decrypting with the Transposition Cipher
Chapter 10: Programming a Program to Test Our Program
Chapter 11: Encrypting and Decrypting Files
Chapter 12: Detecting English Programmatically
Chapter 13: Hacking the Transposition Cipher
Chapter 14: Making a Modular Arithmetic Module for the Multiplicative and Affine Ciphers
Chapter 15: Programming the Affine Cipher
Chapter 16: Hacking the Affine Cipher
Chapter 17: The Simple Substitution Cipher
Chapter 18: Hacking the Simple Substitution Cipher
Chapter 19: The Vigenere Cipher
Chapter 20: Frequency Analysis
Chapter 21: Hacking the Viginere Cipher
Chapter 22: The One-Time Pad Cipher
Chapter 23: Finding Prime Numbers
Chapter 24: Generating Keys for the RSA Cipher
Chapter 25: Public Key Cryptography and Programming the RSA Cipher

Appendix: Debugger

Praise

“Definitely worth the read even as an experienced Python developer. I learned more about cryptography and even a few new Python tricks.”
—Ray Doyle, The Ethical Hacker Network

“I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn Python/programming and is interested in security or puzzles.”
—Jeanne Boyarsky, Code Ranch

“A fantastic programming and cryptography course for any high school-aged child.”
—The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Additional formats

Other Books by this Author

Related Articles

English Language Arts Social Studies History

Books for Native American Heritage Month

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month this November, Penguin Random House Education is highlighting books that detail the history of Native Americans, and stories that explore Native American culture and experiences. Browse our collections here: Native American Creators Native American History & Culture

Read more

Books for Native American Heritage Month

English Language Arts Social Studies History
Social Studies Books in Spanish The Arts History High School Middle School General Education & Professional Learning Graphic Novels English Language Arts Environmental Science Favorite Authors & Series Science

2024 Middle and High School Collections

The Penguin Random House Education Middle School and High School Digital Collections feature outstanding fiction and nonfiction from the children’s, adult, DK, and Grupo Editorial divisions, as well as publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Peruse online or download these valuable resources to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: English Language Arts,

Read more

2024 Middle and High School Collections

Social Studies Books in Spanish The Arts History High School Middle School General Education & Professional Learning Graphic Novels English Language Arts Environmental Science Favorite Authors & Series Science
new penguin random house education high school collections sixteen thematic collections and resources for grades 9-12 curated by lorena german cicely lewis morgan taylor julia e torres and ronell whitaker
General Classroom Libraries English Language Arts Advanced Placement High School Graphic Novels

PRH Education High School Collections

All reading communities should contain protected time for the sake of reading. Independent reading practices emphasize the process of making meaning through reading, not an end product. The school culture (teachers, administration, etc.) should affirm this daily practice time as inherently important instructional time for all readers. (NCTE, 2019)   The Penguin Random House High

Read more

PRH Education High School Collections

General Classroom Libraries English Language Arts Advanced Placement High School Graphic Novels
education translanguaging collections affirming bilingual and multilingual learners
General Graphic Novels Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series Classroom Libraries References Science Translanguaging Collections Social Studies The Arts History High School Middle School

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

General Graphic Novels Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series Classroom Libraries References Science Translanguaging Collections Social Studies The Arts History High School Middle School

About Secondary Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

About Secondary Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Secondary Education
    Wish List (0)