Skip to Main Content

Crime and Intelligence Analysis: Cryptology

This research guide contains information-- both current and historical--on the topic of intelligence. Areas covered include intelligence collection, the intelligence cycle, and also topics such as counterintelligence and cyber intelligence.

Cryptology

Cryptology is a science concerned with data communications and storage in secure and usually secret form.  It encompasses both cryptography and cryptanalysis.

Cryptography originally was the study of the principles and techniques by which information could be concealed in ciphers (secret keys) and later revealed by users employing the secret key, but now encompasses the whole area of key-controlled transformations of information into forms that are either impossible or computationally infeasible for unauthorized persons to duplicate or undo.

Cryptanalysis is the science of recovering or forging cryptographically secured information without knowledge of the key.

(From Encyclopedia Britannica)

Online Resources

Damico, T. M.  (2009).  A brief history of cryptography.  Inquiries Journal, 1(11).  Link to source


Jacobsen, P. H.  (2013, June 4).  Navy cryptology and the Battle of Midway: Our finest hour.  Naval History Blog.  Link to source


Johnson, T. R.  (1999).  American cryptology during the Cold War, 1945-1989:  Book V, cryptologic rebirth, 1981-1989.  Center for Cryptologic History.  Link to source


Library of Congress.  (n.d.).  Cryptology.  Science Tracer Bullet.  Link to source


McDonald, N. G.  (n.d.).  Past, present, and future methods of cryptography and data encryption.  University of Utah.  Link to source


Simpson, S.  (1997).  Cryptography defined/brief history.  University of Texas.  Link to source


van Tilborg, H. C. A.  (n.d.).  Fundamentals of Cryptology: A professional reference and interactive tutorial.  Kluwer.  Link to source