The book brought to the attention of readers is devoted to issues related to the history of the appearance and development of ciphers and codes, as well as the basics of cryptography, cryptanalysis and cryptology. Particular attention is paid to the peculiarities of using codes and ciphers of varying degrees of complexity, which every person, if necessary, can use in everyday life. The first chapter explains in a simple and accessible form the meaning of the concepts “code” and “cipher”, and also provides brief information about the basic terms and definitions used when working with codes and ciphers. The second and third chapters briefly outline the most significant and interesting events from the history of the appearance of various codes, as well as from the history of cryptography. Tips on using the most well-known codes are given in Chapter Four. Sections of the fifth chapter of this book are devoted to the practical application of simple ciphers in everyday life. The appendices provide some of the most commonly used codes in various areas of human activity. These are primarily Morse code and Braille code, as well as semaphore code and flag code. Moreover, not only Russian, but also international versions of these codes are given. All chapters and sections are accompanied by explanatory drawings and tables, thanks to which the perception and assimilation of the presented information is much more effective.