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!
