The End of Privacy?

Author: Steven Levy
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-06-01
Features: The use of cryptography has long been a sacred and inviolable domain for computer enthusiasts and government agents. However, in the age of the internet, a group of outsiders, thus sparking a great technological revolution. As Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig famously said, the powerful tools they created are undoubtedly "the most important technological breakthrough in the past 1,000 years." The formidable art of cryptography will provide security for everyone living in this digital world, open the door to convenient online communication and transactions, and make our private information truly private. What is thought-provoking is that this is also a revolution that spies and U.S. federal government officials are trying to suppress. This book is the first to comprehensively describe the cryptography war that shook the digital age, boldly revealing some little-known secrets. Author Steven Levy clearly describes the development of "popular" cryptography and its confrontation with the U.S. government, elaborates on privacy issues in the information age, and portrays a group of visionary yet disliked internet elites. It was they who boldly predicted 20 years ago that the greatest advantage of the internet (freedom to access information) is also its greatest weakness (privacy may end). With the author's vivid writing, these fearless "rebellious cryptographers" come to life, and their heroic deeds are truly awe-inspiring. This is a pioneering work that discusses hot issues at the forefront of electronics, allowing us to feel the thrilling reality behind the seemingly ordinary facts of this great era.