The book includes sections on the Data Encryption Standard (DES), digital signatures, authentication, protocols, and cryptanalysis or code breaking. Of particular interest is the chapter on smart cards, which explores the possibilities of hardware and software for digital cash and other applications. As a document of recent research in the field, this text will prove useful for the general reader as well as the specialist. Several essays present the math behind cryptographic applications, but there is much to mine here for the curious reader. Contemporary Cryptology also includes several bibliographies on the subject of cryptography and related fields.