cryptography links   (link)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=encryption+intro&btnG=Google+Search
http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/crypto/co0404.htm
Towards the 128-bit Era: AES Candidates

Improvements in the speed and power of microprocessor chips have meant that the Data Encryption Standard with its 56-bit key is subject to brute-force attacks that can be carried out by organizations of moderate size.

Although some branches of the Government of the United States, including its Chief Executive, have been pursuing policies such as export restrictions and the "Clipper chip" initiative, based on perceived dangers of the spread of strong encryption, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, another branch of the U. S. Government, has sought public submissions of an improved block cipher which would serve the specific purpose of protecting the unclassified communications of the U. S. Government, but which would also, no doubt, serve the public sector as well.

(includes links to other pages about specific encryption methods)

http://developer.netscape.com/docs/manuals/security/sslin/contents.htm
This document introduces the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol. Originally developed by Netscape, SSL has been universally accepted on the World Wide Web for authenticated and encrypted communication between clients and servers.

http://www.cs.oberlin.edu/classes/dragn/labs/coding/coding10.html
http://www.pgpi.org/doc/pgpintro/
http://rae.falkor.gen.nz/DES.html