A New York Times #1 best-seller from the author who brought the world The Da Vinci Code, this cyber-thriller revolves around the quest for an unbreakable encryption algorithm and the lengths some individuals will go to in order to acquire it.
A Short Synopsis
While letting the world believe that certain strong encryption algorithms are too mathematically complicated to break in a reasonable amount of time given current technology, the NSA (National Security Association) has developed a machine which can break anything- until a new unbreakable encryption algorithm is created by an individual with a grudge against the NSA. The NSA find themselves in a position of needing to intercept and destroy the algorithm before it can be released to the world and render their spying efforts useless. Along the way there are twists and turns and different individuals with different agendas to add some excitement to the story.My Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have not yet gotten around to reading The Da Vinci Code, also from Dan Brown- I do own it, I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Digital Fortress however piqued my interest because it related directly to computer and network security. Brown certainly does his homework as it relates to computer security technology and talks intelligently about encryption algorithms. The crux of this story revolves around a new encryption algorithm which, even with a relatively small key, is completely unbreakable. I found the book fast-paced and engaging. I almost literally didn't put it down until I was done. I don't take many forays into the world of fiction, but if you like cyber-thrillers I highly recommend you pick this book up and read it.