NetAction's Guide to Using Encryption Software

Where can I read more about encryption?

We've listed some useful sites below. Bulleted subsections denote the page's focus and particularly useful resources. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are for readers interested in the more technical workings of encryption.

Cryptography at Electronic Frontiers Australia

Cryptography FAQs at FAQs.org

Basic Cryptology (an introduction to cryptography)
Mathematical Cryptology (*) (an advanced look at the math behind cryptography and cryptanalysis)
Public Key Cryptography (*) (a technical introduction to asymmetric key cryptography)

Other Miscellany

Links to further resources

Data Encryption: What It Is and How It Works (an easy-to-understand introductory resource focusing on home use of cryptography, featuring step-by-step instructions)

Encrypting E-mail in Outlook 2000 & Outlook Express 5.0
Installing & Using PGP Software (follow links at the bottom for more on Roles of Encryption Components and Understanding Public & Private Keys)

Electronic Frontier Foundation "Privacy, Security, Crypto, & Surveillance" archive

Links to further resources, focusing on encryption politics

Links to technical resources for advanced encryption users

How Encryption Works

Compares symmetric & asymmetric encryption
Explains Secure Socket Layers (SSL)
Explains Web of Trust and authentication

PGP Diffie-Hellman vs. RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adelman) FAQ (*)

Compares several asymmetric key encryption algorithms used in PGP
Discusses how secure PGP is

RSA Laboratories' FAQ about Today's Cryptography

Fairly comprehensive introduction to cryptography
Fairly comprehensive advanced information (*)

Theory of Cryptography Library (*)

A repository of advanced cryptography theory

If you need to know more about a specific topic, try searching for it from your favorite Web search site.

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