Cryptography is the practice and study of securing communication through techniques like encryption. It has evolved through manual, mechanical, and modern eras using computers. Cryptography aims to achieve goals like authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and non-repudiation. Common attacks include brute force, chosen plaintext, and differential power analysis. Symmetric cryptography uses a shared key while asymmetric uses public/private key pairs. Digital signatures and watermarks can authenticate documents. DRM and watermarks control digital content distribution.