Applied Cryptography
Applied Cryptography by Bruce Schneierby Bruce Schneier
Tied for most recommended of 4 security books
Recommended as a classic introduction to cryptography, but critics say it is not a reliable reference or learning tool.
Recommended as a classic introduction to cryptography, but critics say it is not a reliable reference or learning tool.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Seminal, widely cited cryptography classic
“Bruce Schneier described this in his seminal book Applied Cryptography”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “How Shamir's Secret Sharing Works” Enjoyable read for self-learners
“I read _Applied Cryptography_ on my own in high school, with great relish.”
Comment from 19 Aug 2026 in “If the Markets Reject OpenAI and Anthropic, the US Should Nationalize Them” Clear explanations across many topics
“clarity rained upon many things”
Comment from 4 May 2026 in “Why are neural networks and cryptographic ciphers so similar?”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Not a reliable reference or learning tool
“if you think Applied Cryptography is a useful reference or learning tool, it's pretty important to know that it is not.”
Comment from 5 May 2026 in “Why are neural networks and cryptographic ciphers so similar?” Says it has caused significant damage
“More damage has been done by that book than by any Herbert Schildt C language book.”
Comment from 4 May 2026 in “Why are neural networks and cryptographic ciphers so similar?”
Other security books people recommend
The three most recommended other security books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Cryptographyby Bruce SchneierThis page | 3 | 1 | 75% | 2 | — | — |
| The Car Hacker's Handbookby Smith, Craig (Reverse engineer) | 3 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Hacking the Xboxby Andrew "Bunnie" Huang | 3 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Silence on the Wireby Michal Zalewski | 2 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
All 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I read _Applied Cryptography_ on my own in high school, with great relish.”
“Bruce Schneier described this in his seminal book Applied Cryptography”
“if you think Applied Cryptography is a useful reference or learning tool, it's pretty important to know that it is not.”
“More damage has been done by that book than by any Herbert Schildt C language book.”
“clarity rained upon many things”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.