Books

Our group publishes books that make complex topics like cryptography accessible and engaging for a broad audience. We offer a range of titles from introductory guides that demystify cryptographic concepts and their real-world applications to in-depth resources on cryptographic standards and protocols. Our publications cover the role of cryptography in digital security, the risks and limitations associated with its use, and its impact on privacy and information control in society. We strive to inform readers, from general audiences to information security professionals, about the critical importance of cryptography in the digital age.

Cryptography: A Very Short Introduction

Sean Murphy and Rachel Player, Oxford University Press, 2025

Part of the successful and comprehensive series of books that attempts to convey important concepts to general audiences in a clear and concise manner. This book explains what cryptographic algorithms do, how they are used, the risks associated with using them, and why governments should be concerned.

Cryptography: The Key to Digital Security, How it Works, and Why it Matters

Keith Martin, W. W. Norton, 2020

A popular science book aiming to open readers' eyes to the critical role cryptography plays in supporting our everyday lives. It examines why we need cryptography in cyberspace, what it does, how we use it, and what its limitations are. It aims to provide readers with a more profound perspective on their own personal security when they are operating in cyberspace, and to adopt a more informed position about the role cryptography plays in the wider social debates concerning how society should balance personal freedom with control of information.

Everyday Cryptography

Keith Martin, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, 2017

A non-mathematical introduction to cryptography, written as a text book for Royal Holloway’s MSc Information Security module Introduction to Cryptography. It covers all the core cryptographic tools, key management, and case studies of a range of applications including TLS, Tor and Bitcoin. Intended to be of interest to a range of audiences, from information security professionals who want an entry guide to cryptography through to the mathematical science students who want some more application perspectives on cryptography.

User's Guide to Cryptography and Standards

Alex Dent and Chris Mitchell, Artech, 2005

This book provides a detailed explanation of standards and the standardization process. Although now slightly dated, it provides a comprehensive coverage of cryptographic standards that were relevant at the time of publication, many of which are still relevant today. These include standards relating to encryption, cryptographic hash-functions, message authentication codes (MACs), digital signatures, authentication protocols, key management frameworks, Trusted Third Party mechanisms and cryptographic APIs.