| With the current ubiquity of computer networks and distributed systems in general,
and the Internet in particular, cryptography has become an enabling technology to
secure the information infrastructure(s) we are building, using, and counting on in
daily life. This is particularly true for modern cryptography.5 The important role of
(modern) cryptography is, for example, pointed out by the quote given above. As
explained later in this book, the quoted cryptographer—Ronald L. Rivest—is one
of the pioneers of modern cryptography and has coinvented the widely deployed
Rivest, Shamir, Adleman (RSA) public key cryptosystem.
Due to its important role, computer scientists, electrical engineers, and applied
mathematicians should all be educated in the basic principles and applications of
cryptography. Cryptography is a tool, and as such it can provide security only if it
is used properly. If it is not used properly, then it may fail to provide security in the
first place. It may even be worse than not using it at all, because users think that they
are protected, whereas in reality this is not the case (this may lead to incorrect user
behavior). |
