by Steven Levy
First published 2001
Steven Levy chronicles the decades-long struggle between cryptographers and government agencies over public access to strong encryption. The story spans from Whitfield Diffie and Marty Hellman's groundbreaking research through the commercial adoption of encrypted e-commerce at the century's turn. Levy examines how the National Security Agency's attempts to suppress cryptographic innovation only fueled the determination of mathematicians and programmers worldwide. He traces the development of public key encryption as a response to Information Age privacy concerns, showing how each advance made outside Fort Meade met increasing government resistance. The narrative covers legislative battles, legal challenges, and notable failures like the Clipper chip program. Levy presents government officials not as villains but as control-focused bureaucrats who failed to recognize encryption's inevitable spread. The book profiles key figures from Phil Zimmerman to lesser-known contributors like James Ellis, revealing the personal drives behind their technical achievements. Privacy advocates will find a comprehensive review of thirty years of cryptographic battles, while newcomers gain solid documentation for deeper study.
Genres: history, non-fiction, 21st-century, information-science, computer-science
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: Fort Meade
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
356 pages · Paperback · E-Penguin