Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems

Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems
AuthorClaude E. Shannon
LanguageEnglish
SubjectCryptography
Publication date
1949
Publication placeUnited States

"Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems" is a paper published in 1949 by Claude Shannon discussing cryptography from the viewpoint of information theory.[1] It is one of the foundational treatments (arguably the foundational treatment) of modern cryptography.[2] His work has been described as a "turning point, and marked the closure of classical cryptography and the beginning of modern cryptography."[3] It has also been described as turning cryptography from an "art to a science".[4] It is also a proof that all theoretically unbreakable ciphers must have the same requirements as the one-time pad.

The paper serves as the foundation of secret-key cryptography, including the work of Horst Feistel, the Data Encryption Standard (DES), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and more.[5] In the paper, Shannon defined unicity distance, and the principles of confusion and diffusion, which are key to a secure cipher.[6]

Shannon published an earlier version of this research in the formerly classified report A Mathematical Theory of Cryptography, Memorandum MM 45-110-02, Sept. 1, 1945, Bell Laboratories.[7][8] This report also precedes the publication of his "A Mathematical Theory of Communication", which appeared in 1948.

  1. ^ Shannon, "Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems," p. 656. [1]
  2. ^ Shimeall, Timothy J.; Spring, Jonathan M. (2013). Introduction to Information Security: A Strategic-Based Approach. Syngress. p. 167. ISBN 978-1597499699.
  3. ^ Koç, Çetin Kaya; Özdemir, Funda (2023). "Development of Cryptography since Shannon". Handbook of Formal Analysis and Verification in Cryptography: 1–56. doi:10.1201/9781003090052-1. ISBN 978-1-003-09005-2.
  4. ^ Zheng, Zhiyong (2022). Modern Cryptography Volume 1: A Classical Introduction to Informational and Mathematical Principle. Financial Mathematics and Fintech. Singapore: Springer Singapore. pp. vi. doi:10.1007/978-981-19-0920-7. ISBN 978-981-19-0919-1.
  5. ^ Koç, Çetin Kaya; Özdemir, Funda (2023). "Development of Cryptography since Shannon" (PDF). Handbook of Formal Analysis and Verification in Cryptography: 1–56. doi:10.1201/9781003090052-1. ISBN 978-1-003-09005-2.
  6. ^ Banerjee, Santo, ed. (2011). Chaos Synchronization and Cryptography for Secure Communications: Applications for Encryption. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. p. 362. ISBN 978-1-61520-737-4. OCLC 495781438.
  7. ^ A Mathematical Theory of Cryptography
  8. ^ Bibliography of Claude Elwood Shannon