Breaking Codes and Ciphers

Breaking codes is out of this world

2010-11-20T09:48:00.002-07:00

November 19, 2010 — A hearty welcome to all of you in Ms. Ragatz' sixth-grade class at Andersen Elementary School in Chandler, Arizona. (Go, Astronauts!)

Today, during Kaleigh's presentation, you found out some interesting facts about the Rosetta Stone and how it's connected to code breaking.

Many centuries after the last person on earth who was able to read Egyptian hieroglyphs passed away, the discovery of the Rosetta Stone — and the use of a simple code-breaking technique — brought an entire fascinating historical record back to life.

By finding similar symbols in the names PTOLMES (Ptolemy) and KLEOPATRA (Cleopatra), a guy named Jean-François Champollion was able to solve some parts of the mystery as "simple substitution ciphers," which is the technical term for the cryptograms that Kaleigh handed out to you today. [Mr. Briere's Cryptograms and Answer Sheet]

Let me know how you're doing on cracking those codes, and have a great day!

Can you hear me now?

2010-10-20T21:23:00.002-06:00

Cryptopop was recently building a batch of new puzzles and sent the following one to us.

DID NDT SOUND CRYP PYKR EYO XIT ADD YE LDI  PUL YC UAAXIDV.

If you're stumped, start with Proof Readers' Challenge, a much easier one written in the same style.

Gone fission: Jim takes a break from Kryptos

2010-07-12T11:54:00.004-06:00

I recently crossed paths with Jim Sanborn, creator of the Kryptos sculpture (containing K–4, which is, arguably, the world's most famous unsolved cipher). He was in Denver for the unveiling of several of his new works at the Robischon Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

In the photo, left, he's getting his (real) particle accelerator ready for its public debut. ("Where did you get the uranium?" "On the Internet." "Is this legal?" "It's a curious point." "How much did you know about particle physics when you started this project?" "Nothing.")

My hope had been that a group of K–4 fans would be able to meet with him during a free moment to discuss the object of our affection — and maybe pick up a hint or two. But only two of us showed up, by my count.

I invited Sanborn to have dinner with us, but he politely declined. I hope that he didn't think we were a couple of Kryptos nuts coming to crash his party. He was obviously very tired and didn't exactly perk up at the mention of his, um, earlier work. He said that we were welcome to tag along, though, for whatever meetings were already in his plans for that afternoon.

I caught up with him a little later to see what those plans were. He had been joined by two women (his mother and a sister, I believe) and said that he was going to spend a little time with them. He looked exhausted, and so I bowed out of the invitation to tag along. He seemed to appreciate that and said that he would see us when he got back to the museum.

He finally showed up several hours past his planned 5 p.m. appearance — still looking completely beat, but admitting that he had squeezed in a little nap. That's okay, Jim, I've been here with my box of donuts this whole time, just keeping an eye on your arts-and-crafts project.

We made some small talk, but didn't bring up Kryptos at all. In my back pocket, I had a list of about two dozen questions submitted by Kryptosmaniacs from around the globe. But this was neither the time nor the place to distract him with word games. Nor was it an appropriate time to distract him with anything, for that matter. Hey, man, why is that red light blinking?

Today was probably the biggest day of this man's career as a professional artist. Our questions can wait for another day. Some will be understandably disappointed, but I hope that all will agree that Sanborn deserves his day, his space, and our utmost respect for a job well done. (And when you see his next big project, you're going to be totally floored. It's incredible.)

Photo courtesy of "Donna Piranha" Byczkiewicz

Chaocipher: A look inside Byrne's cigar box

2010-07-02T20:47:00.003-06:00

July 2, 2010 — The fact that a cipher system is unbreakable in practice doesn't always mean that it can be put to realistic use. Although the Chaocipher device could fit in a cigar box, was mechanically simple, and was mathematically complex, "sweeping errors" and other shortcomings kept it from ever being considered for use as a pencil-and-paper field system.

And now the system that created a nine-decades-old challenge is being deleted from all those online lists of unbroken ciphers. But not because someone figured it out.

The Chaocipher's documentation has been handed over to the National Cryptologic Museum for all to see. And the chaos-producing cipher machine appears to be more or less as advertised, although its output probably hasn't been "unbreakable" for some time. Today's computers, properly applied, could crack this system, even without the plaintext teasers that inventor John Byrne supplied. (I think we'll find out later that his system was broken years ago — possibly decades ago.) Still, his method of shifting sections of his enciphering alphabet with each letter was ahead of its time and foreshadowed the wiring and stepping schemes of WWII rotor machines.

Follow the history and up-to-the-minute updates at The Chaocipher Clearing House. (Very nice work, Moshe. Thanks for all you do.)

Embedded character made this brass cross

2010-07-02T11:50:00.004-06:00

The following cryptogram, which is another one of Cryptopop's clever creations, is based on current events. (But I'll take credit for the title, above, and for the selection of the picture, which has absolutely nothing to do with this puzzle.)

ZAX. CKKBUNWIMH GMW HMKBUNCRWA RFAU URHHSXZ WIRXA SXIAUFSAG.

Where in the world is Bill?

2010-06-23T00:02:00.004-06:00

June 22, 2010 — 43°13′55″N 105°15′37″W

Several activities have kept me thoroughly occupied for months, but I plan to resume activity at this site shortly. -- Bill [Update: For those who were wondering, the coordinates are for the town of Bill, Wyoming (population 11). Now you know where in the world "Bill" is.]

June 30, 2010 — Met my nemesis, Jim Sanborn, creator of the Kryptos sculpture, today in Denver.

July 2, 2010 — I'm ready to resume blogging somewhat regularly, albeit on a limited schedule. Thanks for everyone's patience and loyalty. We'll ratchet up the pace here over time. Thanks also for your many e-mails, even though, regrettably, I long ago reached a point where I could respond to only a fraction of them.

A St. Paddy's Day mishap

2010-03-23T16:50:00.000-06:00

I'm still trying to get caught up on many projects. Unfortunately, the volunteer fun stuff (like keeping up this site) continues to end up on the back burner.

My exceedingly patient friend, Cryptopop, has come to the rescue with a holiday puzzler to keep things afloat here. (Thanks very much, Pete!)

ULNZ OAODL TJDD RAPYN LNA PZTV RAJDDONAN, HQOIY RPVBAONZG HQOFFNG, "NAOZ, CP RAJCL-TNDD!"

Note: If the singletons are giving you trouble, check the first comment for some help.

A look back at my 2009 predictions

2010-01-01T19:58:00.002-07:00

December 31, 2009 — One year ago, I published "A cryppie's predictions for 2009." I'll revisit that post and give you an update within the next few days. If nothing else, the past year has been busy!

January 30, 2010 — I've been swamped! I'll revise this post as soon as I have a free moment. -- Bill

Kindred spirits found in LHC project

2009-11-27T10:25:00.002-07:00

"People have different ways of working. Some people do work more in collaboration; others work more on their own. That's something that evolves through one's career, as well. ... Part of solving a problem is believing that you can solve it and having the persistence to sort of think and wait and think and come back to it, until you do find a solution. And just knowing that that whole process does actually go somewhere is an important part of solving problems." — Gavin Salam

Gavin Salam is a theoretical particle physicist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. Watch his documentary, which is continuing in production and is being released in roughly 8-minute episodes, about his ongoing work (codename: Eurostar) at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, located outside Geneva, Switzerland.

Salam compares particle physics to listening to a concert and "trying to identify that piece of music, when only the double basses are playing in an orchestra." He adds that what the LHC will do is to help us to figure out "what the rest of the orchestra's playing."

Perhaps the most striking thing you'll notice about those working on this project is their age. Baby-faced computer geeks sporting casual attire, water bottles (even at a conference in the pristine Alps), the latest MacBooks, razor stubble, and disheveled hair are leading this charge into the Great Unknown and teaching fortysomethings like myself how little we really know about anything.

Although this series of videos is about particle physics — and despite the generation gap — any former professional cryptologists who have worked on the really big projects — from cracking World War II rotor-machine ciphers to more recent breakthroughs — will find much in common with the mindset of the highly dedicated and intelligent crew working with the LHC.

WWII veteran receives belated thanks

2009-11-13T10:45:00.002-07:00

November 11, 2009 — The golden lapel pin from the Government Code and Cypher School is inscribed, simply: "GC&CS — 1939–1945 — BLETCHLEY PARK AND ITS OUTSTATIONS." The accompanying certificate states, generically: “The Government wishes to express to you its deepest gratitude for the vital service you performed during World War II."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently presented these items to former code copier Margaret Fick, finally releasing her from the vow of secrecy she had taken decades before. Now, at the age of 85, her story is revealed for the first time by Gazette Live, a British online publication.

Thank you, Margaret, for your silent service.

The Puzzle Palace — er, Apartment

2009-10-27T11:24:00.001-06:00

You know you've "arrived" when your family moves to a nicer apartment — and film director Ron Howard rents your old place. Meet Steve Klinsky and Maureen Sherry — and their four kids, Cavan (12), Kiera (9), Owen (7), and Ella (5) — and their Home, Cryptic Home. (Take a slide-show tour.)

The mysterious artifacts embedded in their 7-bedroom Fifth Avenue apartment have been the subject of several feature articles, most recently one in the Oct. 10–11 weekend edition of Financial Times. It all started when the tenants hired a creative designer to help renovate their new $8.5 million unit. They didn't realize, until later, just how much tinkering the guy had done with the place.

Secret compartments, personalized ciphers for each of the children, magnetic keys, and ubiquitous salamanders were just a few of the clues discovered in what turned out to be an 18-step scavenger hunt.

The polyalphabetic substitution cipher pictured above (and transcribed below) was written for the youngest Klinsky kid, who might appreciate your help in breaking it. The puzzle contains several errors, which I've highlighted in the interest of fair sport: The red letters are typos, and the green commas mark where the keyword is interrupted and starts over. It might also be helpful to know that all of the line breaks coincide with the ends of words.

LZYE,ZFKPHR,SSPBW FLSFKYULIYUBRCZ, WSDSPELDSPSSPXUIEX PGFACFXMUOYPRIMRGS, HBQVGQIRSWXIRSIIZIAHCS WOPSFFPJKLAOAHQVRRF, HBQUCBTESZGLCCIEBHL XFBXTHHVILDIFYWAKQ.

Of Phoenixes and Kleenexes

2009-10-11T10:11:00.004-06:00

As seen in this moving video, Cowpatty Bill (no relation to me) will soon be posting his epic puzzlers at the newly resurrected Cluechaser.com.

Exaflop/s system on the way

2009-09-21T22:25:00.002-06:00

September 21, 2009 — The worldwide accumulation of digital data weighs in at around 23 exabytes (23,000 petabytes or 23 quintillion bytes), according to undated figures compiled from a source at IBM Research. That's everything currently stored in digitized form — offline or online, including the entire Internet.

A supercomputer that could easily go through that much information in a few weeks is currently in the planning stage. IBM has agreed to build the world's first exaflop/s system. It will be used to process the output of the proposed Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a monster telescope that will produce about one exaflop/s of astronomical data per day.

The telescope will be 50 times as powerful as the Arecibo Observatory, the current leader in radio telescopes. Some preliminary construction at proposed sites in Australia and South Africa may begin as early as this year and may continue for a decade.

"In its first hour alone, the SKA will generate more information than is currently held in the entire World Wide Web," said Troy Buswell, Western Australian Minister for Commerce.

The telescope's supporting exaflop/s computer system would, for the first time, exceed most estimates for the performance of the subconscious human mind. I wonder how it would feel about that.

Kryptos 4: Call for papers

2009-09-06T09:48:00.013-06:00

September 6, 2009 — Two decades have passed. It's time to get that fourth and final section of Kryptos figured out, once and for all. I challenge cryptanalysts everywhere to get it solved by the end of this year.

To further that goal, this site soon will feature a list of several current theories and new strategies for testing them.

[See "Kryptos" at the bottom of the left column of this Web site.]

Links to the papers or sites that describe those leading theories in detail will be provided here. An initial list will be posted September 10 and will be updated continuously.

The bulk of current analysis on the unsolved portion of Kryptos is being done by members of a very active Yahoo group. (You can join the effort, too.) The resources provided here at Breaking Codes and Ciphers are being made available primarily to support the ongoing work of that long-standing group. The agreement described on their home page, which is meant "to protect everyone’s individual efforts and to encourage the free exchange of information," applies equally here. Intellectual rights and copyright are controlled by the individual authors.

If you wish to recommend a thesis, or if you think you've got a good one yourself, e-mail it to me. As the moderator, I reserve the right to leave any off the list for any reason and to keep the overall effort as focused as possible. There is no deadline for the submission and revision of papers in electronic form (or links to papers and dedicated Web pages), which will be accepted on an ongoing basis, until a solution is confirmed. Material of any length and of any degree of completeness in any online-postable format is acceptable. Submissions may include fully argued dissertations, lists of supported talking points, or even single significant findings.

This isn't a popularity contest or a way to showcase a diversity of ideas. It's about presenting the ones that contain at least one significant element worthy of serious consideration in the hunt for a solution, focusing on that/those element(s) of each, and then encouraging an organized process of peer review, discussion, collaboration, testing, and revision. The goal of this initiative, in short, is to make a concerted push to find the solution to Kryptos 4 by December 31, 2009.

[Update: This goal was obviously not achieved, but the work continues.]

[To work on the "Kryptos Challenge" at this site, go to the "Kryptos" section at the bottom of the left column.]

Should be under $300 in a couple of years ;)

2009-08-29T09:35:00.008-06:00

August 28, 2009 — State-of-the-art quantum cryptography is about to hit the mainstream, thanks to a deal between id Quantique and a subsidiary of Siemens. Organizations or individuals will be able to buy the quantum key distribution systems — at US$82,000 for a pair of encryption units — without having to install dedicated optical fibers.

That according to an article published today in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Technology Review.

"There's potential to really accelerate commercial development," said Grégoire Ribordy, CEO of id Quantique.

"I see this as the first step in the switch to quantum-based security," says Charlotte Rugers, a security consultant with Siemens SIS.

More>>>

"K5: Twilight Eyes" reviewed

2009-08-25T00:22:00.001-06:00

by Bill Briere — You've seen the cryptic pieces of art spread about the Central Intelligence Agency's Langley complex. But is there more to Kryptos than meets the eye?

According to Gary Phillips, an expert on the enciphered sculpture, the answer is "maybe." The creator of the acclaimed Realm of Twelve site documents his theory in a short video, "K5: Twilight Eyes," which was released this morning [Aug. 25, 2009] on YouTube. [See full video (00:05:17), below. ]

Phillips proposes that top CIA officials secretly embedded design elements into the construction of their new headquarters campus back in the eighties. Later, he theorizes, William Webster, then-director of the American spy agency, tasked sculptor Jim Sanborn to incorporate those secrets into his project.

CIA cryptographer Ed Scheidt helped create the nearly ten-foot-tall copper sculpture's four enciphered messages. Three of them have been solved, but there is speculation that an even broader hidden message exists. Phillips believes that his discovery may be part of that fifth message. Others, including myself, do not.

The images and overall presentation are worth watching, especially in full-screen mode, and are suitable for a broad audience. Some background knowledge about the sculpture may be necessary for full appreciation. Phillips uses on-screen snippets of Kryptos' stenciled "known plaintext" as a silent narrator — and to good effect. A music-only soundtrack kicks in just after the 1-minute mark.

I believe that the featured "Twilight Eyes" discovery has nothing whatsoever to do with Kryptos and is nothing more than a curious illusion. However, the video's end notes carry a challenge we all can embrace: "[C]ontinue searching for a solution [and] think differently about what is possible."

Although goosebumps gave way to disappointment, I give this video a "thumbs up" as entertainment. As something of cryptologic value, though, I have to give it a "thumbs down." (And if the image turns out to have been done intentionally, I'd chalk it up as an inside joke to the Soviets: "We know you're watching us, but we're watching you, too.")

See related topic: Kryptos humor

Dorabella in the key of G?

2009-08-03T02:10:00.009-06:00

Am I on to something here? Or am I just hearing things?

The Dorabella cipher has withstood cryptanalytical attacks for well over a century. English musician Edward W. Elgar composed it for Dora "Dorabella" Penny, a possible love interest and a minister's daughter, in 1897.

The note consists of three lines of 29, 31, and 27 characters, followed by a sloppily written date, "July 14, 97." It looks to me like there may be some "rhymes" in the ciphertext. It also feels like a simple substitution cipher, although cryptanalysis has never produced any plausible plaintext.

Gee, could that be because it is a simple substitution cipher and it doesn't contain any plaintext?

If any musically inclined cryptanalysts are reading this, tell me if this could be an enciphered audio clip. If so, help me decrypt it. (That little dot between the fifth and sixth characters of the last row could indicate a lengthened note.) I can't wait to hear what this tune sounds like.

The Beale ciphers: Proceed at your own risk

2009-07-15T23:34:00.011-06:00

An ongoing discussion about the Beale ciphers was begun in an older post. Those comments have been split off and moved to this new post.
Beale cipher ere fen due Red Knee Ken Bauman
Proceed at your own risk! Before you decide to take a shot at decrypting the Beale ciphers -- or even to post in the comments section below -- it might behoove you to read the following advisory, which the unknown author of the first published copy of the ciphers included in his pamphlet, after his own failed attempts at decipherment:

“... [D]evote only such time as can be spared from your legitimate business to the task, and if you can spare no time, let the matter alone. Should you disregard my advice, do not hold me responsible that the poverty you have courted is more easily found than the accomplishment of your wishes, and I would avoid the sight of another reduced to my condition. Nor is it necessary to devote the time that I did to this matter, as accident alone, without the promised key, will ever develop the mystery. If revealed by accident, a few hours devoted to the subject may accomplish results which were denied to years of patient toil. Again, never, as I have done, sacrifice your own and your family’s interests to what may prove an illusion; but, as I have already said, when your day’s work is done, and you are comfortably seated by your good fire, a short time devoted to the subject can injure no one, and may bring its reward.”

Cryptanalyst finds familiar text in old cipher

2009-07-02T18:44:00.003-06:00

July 2, 2009 — A couple of days ahead of the 233rd birthday of the United States of America, this interesting item in today's Wall Street Journal was brought to my attention by "Dee Tangla," a former code-breaking student of mine. (Her specialty is Playfair ciphers.)

As far as scholars can tell, an enciphered letter received by President Thomas Jefferson in 1801 from his friend, Robert Patterson, had gone unsolved for over two centuries — until code-breaker Lawren Smithline took a shot at it in 2007.

Smithline, 36, a mathematician and now a professional cryptanalyst, recently published his solution. It's not quite the "perfect cipher" that the nineteenth-century puzzle's author thought it was: although quite possibly unbreakable in its time, it would have been impractical for everyday use as a quill-and-parchment system. Even though Patterson had a systematic method for sprinkling the ciphertext with numerous nulls, his cryptogram is readily identifiable as a transposition cipher.

Readers will find the content of the letter to be a paraphrased excerpt from a well-known document — one that was written largely by Jefferson himself.

View the plaintext and a demo of how the letter was enciphered.

Cryptegory-1 available for test ride

2009-07-01T23:10:00.017-06:00

Cryptopop has coined the term "cryptegory" to name a new type of puzzle he's been working on. Cryptegories are a variation on the enciphered lists found in many cryptogram magazines. His first one is presented below. Take it for a spin, and leave some feedback.

CryptegoryDecipher the category title and the list of ten related items, then anagram the solved letters in the underlined positions to reveal a hidden eleventh word.

PUFRZTJS PIENFAXN

TAEFJMX		....HISAP
YXJHIE		....RUYXJ
TUTSIVN		....NVRZEC
IHXA		....VRIAEZC
RJXVU		....PZEIFJMX

Hidden word: _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Small fry doesn't want scalloped potatoes

2009-06-26T12:20:00.014-06:00

Here's another fun one from Cryptopop. It's a bulked-up version of a shorter cryptogram he fished out of his archives.

FHCMYZIU ALFTABZWFSM VMCOSI IUSWWYZIU, FSOLBMI IUMZPX, PBIISWI CYKSM AMZIE HLMELBK. PZFDSK HSZDUKWZYKSM ASVLPSI VMCAAT, VWCPI BX HUSG FSGZSF VMBIKCVSCG, PLWWBIE FZSK.

"World's Greatest Treasure Hunt" planned

2009-06-25T11:04:00.003-06:00

CJUBTN DHB SHKWJO JUSKJ THRKW LBFOS FO $100,000,000 IH DROW LBJUCI TUOTJB BJCJUBTN

(Read more about philanthropist Ron Shore's project.)

Exaflop/s system possible in 5–6 years?

2009-05-15T10:16:00.005-06:00

I just now discovered this obscure report dated September 28, 2008. It is an unclassified government-sponsored study taking a serious look at the possibility that our most advanced supercomputers could achieve a 1,000-fold increase in computing power by 2015. This would give us our first exaflop/s computers — machines capable of performing at least one quintillion floating point operations per second.

Anyone who follows this stuff knows that that's a really big deal. Clearing the 1 exaflop/s hurdle in 2015 would mean that the performance of the world's fastest supercomputer would have increased about 3,500 times in a single decade.

QKD gets another boost

2009-04-30T15:20:00.003-06:00

April 30, 2009 — Another major advance in quantum key distribution was reported today in an article from the Institute of Physics, a nonprofit organization that promotes the study of physics from its headquarters in Bristol, U.K.

The article cites a report titled "Practical gigahertz quantum key distribution based on avalanche photodiodes," which states that the present advances now make quantum key distribution practical.

Zodiac killer's solutions taken to the grave?

2009-04-30T06:28:00.005-06:00

April 29, 2009 — During a scheduled press conference [video (21 minutes)] held at noon at the San Francisco Chronicle building, Deborah Perez, of Corona, California, claimed that the infamous Zodiac killer was her late adoptive father, Guy Ward Hendrickson. Furthermore, she stated that she had written some of the killer's graphic and cryptographic letters herself — at the age of 7. Some of these cryptograms remain unsolved [warning: graphic content — 1, 2, 3].

Although Perez has turned evidence over to legal and law-enforcement authorities, her claims remain unconfirmed and have been disputed.

The Zodiac killer, who often signed his name with a circle-and-cross symbol, taunted police and terrorized the Bay Area in the late 1960s, claiming that he had taken the lives of at least three dozen victims.

A special welcome for the NCVA

2009-04-22T19:08:00.000-06:00

April 22, 2009 — Thanks to some "electronic word-of-mouth" initiated by a member of the Navy Cryptologic Veterans Association (NCVA), about 150 of that fraternal organization's members have stopped by to visit this site today.

The item generating the most interest was the "solver's statement" found in the blog post titled "Child prodigy cracks Kryptos-4."

A hearty welcome to all these former cryptanalysts, linguists, and other cryptologic technicians. Enjoy the site, and thank you for your service!

Need help solving the world's problems

2009-04-17T08:42:00.002-06:00

April 17, 2009 — Lately, I've been totally swamped with projects (including some cryptanalytical ones), so new posts have gotten a little sparse. However, we might be able to work something out that will help me get caught up, while giving you the cryptograms you've come to expect to find here.

One thing I'm beginning to get behind on is helping people with their cipher-solving requests, of which I typically get about 25 to 30 a week. I enjoy doing these very much and don't want to turn anyone away, but sometimes I've got too much other stuff going on to be able to keep up with them. If any readers out there would like to volunteer to work on some of these, let me know.

I get a few simple substitution and simple transposition ciphers, but not many — and those are handled quickly. But I get more polyalphabetic substitution ciphers than anything else, and these require a little more time. I also get a sprinkling of other kinds of ciphers, like Playfairs and railfences — and these, too, require a time commitment.

To request a cipher, e-mail me (Bill) at BreakingCodes@gmail.com, and let me know what kind you'd like to tackle. When you've finished one, you can ask for another. The cipher sources are always grateful for any assistance, and you may either remain anonymous to them or I can forward your name and/or contact information to them.

Diamonds make the cut

2009-04-15T17:12:00.013-06:00

April 15, 2009 — According to a press release posted this morning at the Web site of the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), "diamonds could revolutionize the field of quantum mechanics in computing" for cryptanalysis, quantum key distribution, and other information-handling processes. The article reports that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) have committed $6.1 million for research into two related projects, both of which are being spearheaded by UCSB, and that "results may lead to vast advances in the field — including the ability to provide secure quantum communication over intercontinental distances."

About one of the most popular groups of four

2009-04-07T07:31:00.010-06:00

ZSJB SQLV ZFRG CJBN HQAS MFGY XFGU HJMX CNUR BNUW KFPU MFYB MJPU YNQC HSQX FBQD SQQH, BNUR UFLN LNFD LFXU ZFLV ZAYW CJBN YQMQ KJKY.

[I made a few changes to this (improvements, I think) after it was posted.]

Child prodigy cracks Kryptos 4

2009-04-01T00:00:00.011-06:00

"After nearly two decades, the fourth and final part of the CIA's Kryptos cipher has been broken. The solution is detailed in the young solver's statement, which she released this morning."

Background video I Solver's statement

Important update:
That information (originally posted April 1, 2009) generated a great deal of interest and drew a record number of visitors to this blog. Feedback received in a few comments and in many e-mails indicated that only a few caught two important clues in the "solver's statement": the date at the top of the letter (April 1) and the signature at the bottom (April Fulsedeigh).

If any of you feel foolish for falling for this April Fool's Day prank, you shouldn't. The scenario described may very well turn out to be largely correct! Although the account is fictitious, the only tricks involved in the otherwise-authentic description of the solution are a single made-up Navajo word (d'b) and the vague steps given for employing the double Playfair (a process that is not reproducible from the information provided).

All joking aside, my 12-year-old daughter came up with this idea, and she invites cryptanalysts to consider the possibility that Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden might be a key for solving this puzzle.

Recommended: Check out Gary Phillips' animated Kryptos solutions of K-1, K-2, and K-3, plus his standing-waves theory about K-4.

Casa Vortex excavators

2009-03-31T13:02:00.005-06:00

This is a replacement puzzle for one posted a few days ago. The original was a valid cryptogram, but there was a discrepancy in the anagrams. I haven't had time to rework it myself, so Cryptopop came to the rescue with this fix. (Thanks!)

Note that the first four words are an anagram of the next six words and that the rest of the text is made up of four anagram pairs.

ERNLI JMD SRNLTMYZ QDVLRTKRVROYMKM VRZDKL IYTRMDJN ERTL, MYSK MQRNLM, VRO ITD, DTI DKKLTKYHLVB, KLTKDKYHLVB MKJIB IJMKB DIREL DERIL.

Albert Einstein once said ...

2009-03-30T13:46:00.003-06:00

EATOE GHTOS ITRDA OTROS EINNN OMHYO PNYFI THSEE HERSV NTALN EATEP C

This is a numerically keyed columnar transposition cipher.

Tunny: Enigma on steroids

2009-03-24T08:21:00.000-06:00

Thanks to John Gidusko for bringing my attention to this video of a presentation given recently by Jerry Roberts, one of the last of those venerable code breakers of World War II.

Roberts, now 88, reveals the recently declassified story of Tunny, the German encryption machine that made Enigma look like something out of a Cap'n Crunch cereal box. He packs an incredible amount of cryptanalytical history into his talk, which runs a little over an hour (1:07:46). It's well worth the time.

Tired spokesman's strong arm shifts

2009-03-23T16:04:00.008-06:00

YVCRQ AC LVAC VEUQP KANQ PVRQ AC ILVAC: KPZNQC RZYYVPKZCQ RZHYJ KQ VPSIUPZCW'I VROAYYQI' OQQY AC HLRZSACW UZHP JQ EPVCRQ.

A helpful clue:

Draft dodgers pick golden locks

2009-03-17T05:11:00.000-06:00

ZFWR BYHK WFQI BJWR WYFV ZFHO KOIR WFJQ OYFV

Used knife to finish Caesar?

2009-03-15T15:04:00.006-06:00

The Ides of March — "HW WZR"? PDBEH KDFNHU IRXQG EUXWH-IRUFH VROXWLRQ WR DZNZDUG IRUNIXOV DQG RUGHUHG BHW DQRWKHU VDODG ZLWK XQWRUQ URPDLQH.

Irrational exuberance?

2009-03-14T22:30:00.004-06:00

March 14 (3.14) — Thanks to Cryptopop for sharing the following poem to observe Pi Day.

JZIQ DAGTVCCGAC PH XGKKVSV AZXV
XGJDRIVW DP IG IAPKKPGHIQ DKZXV.
DAPHIVA YKVM ZHW IG SAVZI WPCSAZXV
IQVE VHWVW RD MPIQ DP(V) PH TZXV.

Ebber had a bad code?

2009-03-11T07:46:00.002-06:00

GDSN GBUD: NAHM NDYL XDWU XOQN ... GBND LAGD, ZYON TDWV HBYV QBGD ... HBVD XYBQ XWHM WGDS SAUT UTAN ZBNU

Down Under up next

2009-03-03T14:11:00.005-07:00

Quantum key distribution networks have already been demonstrated successfully in North America and in Europe.

It now appears that the world's third cryptographic "quantinent" will be Australia. This article in ComputerWorld, an online publication of IDG Communications, seems to indicate that that is the case.

“The trials will be conducted over the optic fibre networks in Canberra with a consortium of government departments concerned with the transmission and communication of sensitive data,” said Vikram Sharma, founder of QuintessenceLabs, a quantum communications technology company. “We expect the commercial production to happen towards the end of this year to early 2010."

Now, stand by for news

2009-03-03T07:46:00.005-07:00

February 28, 2009 — This wordsmith is said to have coined or popularized terms for "hijack a plane" (skyjack), "spying on your kids" (snoopervision), "a history of inclination" (trendancy), "rough guess" (guesstimate or guestimate), and "expecting a baby" (infanticipation). And a tongue-in-cheek phrase, always followed by silence: "He would want us to mention his name."

RNKQCZJ. JS AQXB RNKQCZJ, BNK WSSA TSW CAQLCXQKCSX. YCJ TWCNXRZB, JKQHHQKS DSCHNIWCXK. DNWFZNJJ, NPINWKZB JEJINXJNTEZ GNFJ ST QXNHRSKQZ JHQTTSZRCXL, EIGQWR KS RNZCLYKTEZ HWNJHNXRS! KYNX, JSANKYCXL ISCLXQXK. XNGJGSWKYB. EXNPINHKNR. ... QK XCXNKB, KSS JSSX. IQLN KGS.

Maybe it isn't all relative

2009-02-23T19:41:00.002-07:00

Here's an item from Scientific American that gives a good 6-page overview of the current status of quantum theory in relatively simple language. The article, which is titled "Was Einstein Wrong?: A Quantum Threat to Special Relativity," focuses on the subject of entanglement.

As we've said here before, pay attention to this stuff — unless you don't mind having no idea what's going on when the next big evolution in cryptography and cryptanalysis occurs.

Early bird becomes jailbird

2009-02-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

"OKHV IHNBA DRV YGRZFR-DTNB?!" VKIEP FEWRKYTDRW AXKDZEOYEPQ PEQXYNVTGZRVA NKCDZTEPRW TIKHY KHYVTQRKHA NKAY KO CRTY.

Fiat lux

2009-02-20T14:41:00.003-07:00

Here's an item of interest about the cutting-edge work of Harvard's Professor Lene Hau. Her research has applications in quantum computing and quantum cryptography.

"[S]he halted light, restarted it and sent it on its way," says the article about her earlier work. And more recently, it says, she "stopped and extinguished a light pulse" and then brought it "back into existence in another atom cloud in a separate location."

Pay attention to this stuff, because this is where cryptography and cryptanalysis will be fighting it out in the (very near) future.

Keeping up with the Joneses

2009-02-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

This painting, which entered the public domain in 1999, has been my favorite optical illusion since childhood. It relates in only a general way to the cryptogram.

SHXR YWDDGZ UWU YDWZGY HMQJGMXD GSGRMY (FJCY FJCYQ, CFYDHJG UXRXSHR)

DNA jumps through another hoop

2009-02-16T19:22:00.009-07:00

"Reading from" and "writing to" individual molecules and atoms is going to become routine sooner than most might think.

Science Daily gives us an update on the taming of DNA molecules in an article with the self-explanatory title "Chemists Create Two-Armed Nanorobotic Device To Maneuver World's Tiniest Particles." It's one more step toward practical DNA supercomputing.

That, along with quantum supercomputing, will bring about world-changing applications in cryptography and cryptanalysis. Watch for more breakthroughs, as they occur with increasing speed, right here at Breaking Codes and Ciphers.

Click the graphic to see an animated version.

Hexed fax vexes

2009-02-16T17:22:00.004-07:00

ERTII XTRSX XNTDX SIAEE OEXEE GSMPX FXTTC XITOI LUDEE TTNYX XETER XAETX BRPOE P

This is a numerically keyed columnar transposition cipher.

A penny for your thoughts

2009-02-10T19:42:00.004-07:00

A study published last year and appearing in the February 2009 print edition of the Journal of Neural Engineering describes a method of "directly decoding neural correlates of decision making, specifically subjective preference evaluation."

An abstract of the article, "Decoding subjective preference from single-trial near-infrared spectroscopy signals," indicates that advancements continue to be made toward being able to extract thoughts from people's minds.

A couple of months back, the Breaking Codes and Ciphers blog mentioned another mind-reading application. Both of these new technologies may have ramifications for cryptanalysis, especially if they can tap into thoughts at the subconscious level. The day might not be far off when people will rent their gray supercomputers to institutions for just such a use.

Beat man snaps on the job

2009-02-08T05:10:00.007-07:00

Heard "Please, Mr. Postman" one time too many

BYUYWNDP "ZGPIX SDHPWODLP" ARSDBRC "VGPYX BRXWODLP": RZRPW "LYC QHCW KRWWGPK DP BI PRUZRC," CYIC WGURO OGCS QDSMRI LND AUDMR VDUWI-VGZR URSDUOC [Were they "whirled" ones?]

"Please, Mr. Postman, look and see. Is there a letter in your bag for me?" Point your cursor (but don't click) to reveal a hint. Or, triple-click to reveal the solution here: Marathon "vinyl countdown" becomes "final meltdown": Event "was just getting on my nerves," says tired disc jockey who broke forty-five records

Bee sting smarts

2009-02-06T08:04:00.006-07:00

EWHENPECK ZXETYEX ELLGXK TRJKK UGHPCK "ENOUGH" JLYGX LCBPHU WEO BPKKZGRRK "HENPECK."

We sang dirges in the dark

2009-02-03T17:51:00.010-07:00

February 3, 1959–2009 — Fifty years ago today, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper died when their plane crashed in an Iowa cornfield. People are always asking: "What would music be like today if they hadn't died?" But the question should be: "What would music be like today if they had never lived?"

Their lives were immortalized a decade later in the song "American Pie," by Don McLean (video, below). McLean's tune is a gold mine of coded references to "the three men I admire most." Take a listen, and see if you can decipher any of it. (My theory: The missing letter in "Febuary" represents Ritchie.)

I wasn't sure how to title the corny doggerel, below, but "Three-Part Hominy" sounded a little too undignified.

YOR ITVWOHXC ATXF GHYO SHLYL JS VTCR
JX OQLML HXLWVHARF T OTZZJGRF KTCR:
"SVJI SVJDRX SHRZFL
JS AJQXYHSQZ UHRZFL --
TY YTAZRL AZRLLRF GHYO CJZFRX ITHDR,
T YJTLY YJ ITVM YORI CJJF JZ' FTUL."

YOHL'ZZ AR YOR FTU YOTY VJWM GHZZ ZHSY
YOJLR COJLYZU RWOJRL TL T CHSY:
"ZT ATIAT TXF ZTWR
TXF KRCCU LQR'L STWR --
JQV YTAZR'L CVTWRF GHYO OTVIJXU'L XJHLR,
TXF T GOHLMRU TXF VUR SJV YORI CJJF JZ' AJUL."

20-petaflop/s computer being built

2009-02-03T17:07:00.005-07:00

Many have been predicting that advancements in computer technology can not keep up with Moore's Law much longer. But you've been getting an opposing view here at the Breaking Codes and Ciphers blog.

This 20 petaflop/s machine is set for activation in 2012. (It's called "Sequoia," a name that any geeky cryptanalyst should appreciate for its use of all five vowels in such a short word.)

“Moore’s Law says you get a doubling of performance every 18 months. We’ll do ten times that in 24 months,” says David Turek, the "deep computing" vice president for IBM.

Note: I'm still standing by my earlier prediction that we'll see an operational 100 petaflop/s monster by the end of 2009.

Wake him up for the commercials

2009-01-31T20:15:00.001-07:00

MIJDF UBTJWG BI JFMPCZTV NMSZTV/NMTZTV GKEDF ABNH SHZZZ JZPCDJ GMHDG, ABBCCDDEDF GHDDEG JWFBKVW VMUD.

All the money that's fit to print

2009-01-29T05:15:00.004-07:00

"EQNWR NOS DVUHZ NOS JZ(N)S NQQ MFZJ" YNGC LNI: YQBUOX UO HMSNB EB LJUFNHZ LQNOZ, HGCZSMZS LGEQUIVZJ XZHI JUSUWGQZS YMJ NIRUOX YMJ ENUQMGH YMJ ENORJGLH OZDILNLZJ.

It's hard to find "sense" in all this change

2009-01-28T06:33:00.009-07:00

"RMISO" DZZMDKO NI NICU NIM EMINTLIDSLNI NW DTMKLRDI RNLI RYKKMISCU WNYIE LI RLKRYCDSLNI!

Update: For your ears only

2009-01-26T11:17:00.001-07:00

[Originally posted on January 22, 2009, as "For your ears only." Updated and bumped to top.]

Meet President Barack Obama's new cell phone.

At less than $3,500, this amazing machine is a bargain. The Sectéra Edge comes with the most advanced encryption features ever developed for a handheld communications device.

Update: According to an article published by Fox News on January 26, 2009, the president still uses his BlackBerry and does not yet have a Sectéra Edge. The article cited the source as "a White House spokesman." I doubt that the report is correct, but we'll keep an eye on it. If true, not good.

Update: Quantum matters

2009-01-24T12:57:00.001-07:00

For those who are following developments in the areas of quantum computing and quantum cryptography, here are some recent updates, with a little overlap, from three sources.

Quantum Leaps (Knowledge First blog)

Ion Teleportation Scheme Could Scale Up Quantum Computers (IEEE Spectrum Online)

Quantum Teleportation Is a Go! (Discover blog)

Accidents are going to happen

2009-01-24T10:42:00.003-07:00

AP LG QM IH IR HF PS XB OY SG GF NS YS LO LE BP RI UN KE BC KV DV BM IQ CI ZA DN IQ RL KX FH BF PD PL KE RV QF QB BV IC PN OR IQ HB BV TS FE HY SP QS DU KF OY ZN QM CH SP SY BN QI WF PK CQ IR LQ DE PD GB QI

This is a Playfair cipher. The underlined ciphertext is a link to a clue.

We want you to check in!

2009-01-22T10:41:00.003-07:00

The statistical tracker on this site is showing that many of you are located beyond the borders of the United States of America. And many of you are returning frequently — like all of you dedicated daily visitors from Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

But you're all so quiet.

If you're located outside the United States, then I'm talking to you. Why not check in and introduce yourself? It's as simple as clicking on the "comments" link below.

We Americans look forward to meeting you and benefiting from your various perspectives. Your suggestions, requests, and participation will make your future visits here even more rewarding.

Encouraging words from the top

2009-01-21T07:22:00.005-07:00

Many of the cryptograms posted on this site have been a little on the difficult side. That can be discouraging for those who are new to the hobby. But the following one is very simple and should be easily solved by anyone who understands the very basics.

"PGCVI B KVI PG IGE PZVP PZX RZVYYXTFXK QX AVRX VWX WXVY. PZXI VWX KXWBGEK, VTC PZXI VWX DVTI. PZXI QBYY TGP UX DXP XVKBYI GW BT V KZGWP KLVT GA PBDX. UEP NTGQ PZBK, VDXWBRV: PZXI QBYY UX DXP." -- AWGD LWXKBCXTP UVWVRN GUVDV'K BTVEFEWVY KLXXRZ

Hint: Ciphertext T equals plaintext N

Those of you who are new to the site are encouraged to submit your solutions or comments below.

"Unusual inauguration" invites word game

2009-01-20T14:02:00.007-07:00

January 20, 2009 — Today's U.S. presidential inauguration reminded me of an unusual word list I compiled as a kid.

Each word contained a different letter of the alphabet; and, in each case, that letter was preceded by and followed by the letter "u." That is, the first word contained the string "uau"; the second contained "ubu"; and so on. You'll find three examples in the first two words of the title of this post.

Four of the letters stumped me: "i," "u," "w," and "y," so I stretched and placed some ridiculous fillers in those gaps (like "aaauuuggghhh!").

Your challenge is to find a single word for each "u_u" string for as many letters as possible. For this exercise, let's try to stick to moderately reasonable words. Proper nouns and contractions are allowed, but abbreviations and foreign words are not.

Once you've maxed out your list, add it to the comments section.

Overheard in a "sue"-shi bar

2009-01-19T20:14:00.005-07:00

GCHT KVMFOFKH RVGPHMQ ZMXHM QAQCF WRVOOHMQ, OCHP FTQFQO VTP QADQOFOAOFZTQ DH KVXH "QSAFX WMZ SAZ."

Big crutches would help

2009-01-16T06:18:00.009-07:00

HJWQZADQCA CRJGK GZDHVW CVCEBQHVWZMQZK HDQKA CBCHVXAC XDQHHMVW CZCEBZAXR.

She recycles, too

2009-01-14T09:21:00.001-07:00

XZJJA QJANPMJEJ QYWWSNPAX TV TPQVQIJ: "KPALIIV ZJESQPAX WV QLZTYA KYYNMZPAN."

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Burishkin.

Let's use a supercomputer on this one

2009-01-12T18:56:00.007-07:00

Our brains process about 400 billion bits of information per second. This includes purely internal processing, such as thinking and daydreaming, as well as the handling of external input from our senses, including about 10 million bits per second through our eyes.

We're consciously aware of only a sliver of this. The processing of the rest occurs at the subconscious level. When a little speck of these subconscious processes pops to the surface, it takes the form of inspiration, an idea, a gut reaction, a realization. Most of the time, unfortunately, we can't make this happen "on command."

Give the following simple substitution cipher a quick look. Remember that a supercomputer (including your subconscious mind) is capable of solving many thousands of these in the blink of an eye.

BLFI YIZRM SZW GSRH HLOFGRLM URTFIVW LFG OLMT YVULIV "BLF" WRW.

Try to solve it consciously in your head, without pen and paper. Relax and trust your intuition.

And now that you've solved it, did it help to know that your brain had this solution figured out long before "you" did?

Tongue twister has silver lining

2009-01-11T04:10:00.006-07:00

"XRJ, QC OQREGZ, JSZ QJSZE CUAZ GSZZV SBAZ MZAZE CZFJ XZJJZE," ZDVFBUMG GUDJS GUOL GSZUL.

Bag o' Zyps (continued)

2009-01-09T10:14:00.002-07:00

If you successfully solved the first three Zyptograms in this package, you're ready to move on to the elimination round. Zyp 4 is rated "difficult," and Zyp 5 is what Cryptopop calls a "stumper."

4. COXM CODJVOZJNG EOVCM EZLJGNV CODJG COXLCJ.

5. TRJQ OXRPJT OSXRPB QRPOS TQRPORB.

POTUSes greet, meet, eat at White House

2009-01-07T17:28:00.016-07:00

KOGLZV NIHHVCFDOHXO ODIHZI GOHVXLH NFOCIM SLVP OV NUXLU, TZUUIHP, XHTLGXHB (N)UIVXMIHPV BOPSIUIM KLU FZHTS.

Bag o' Zyps

2009-01-06T06:19:00.004-07:00

Here are three more of Cryptopop's ever-popular, challenging Zyptograms. The first one is relatively easy, as far as Zyps go. The second and third are medium.

See if you can get all three. And then watch for two more Zyps -- even more difficult than these -- to be posted within a few days.

For more information about Zyps, see the first post in which they appeared on this site.

1. UJAGUPK UJAGU PK GAUJU.

2. NOTBOD NQZCMBO NOZBOC NTQD NDCMBOC.

3. IOQFI IOQFZAGR OCRA VIOCFZ, IQFFAO IQFI VGF.

Why on earth Panetta?

2009-01-05T15:28:00.003-07:00

January 5, 2009 — Just in: President-elect Obama picks Leon Panetta as CIA director.

! ... ?

Purple reign?

2009-01-05T02:40:00.006-07:00

This may be an unlikely "SWORN EPIC" (those are the only nine letters to appear in both the plaintext and the ciphertext), but creepier things have happened. Well, maybe not.

RCRP ENCRIPO SWW ENCRIPOO: ENCRIPOO SCRIPO. WRP EWE CIWR SWWO ENCRIPOO: ENCRIPOO OSWWRO. (ENCRIP SCRO RCIP INWSR CR ENWIPOO.)

On the menu: wild game

2009-01-04T05:32:00.003-07:00

"DIFVVXBYUBQX" UFZJFPFU UFSRUXV BCRYX FQE HBOF: "MBXF LQJHIX VIJGXV MFBZF DIFDLFUFE VYUGBDF VXUFPQ PJXI CBXXFUFE SJFDFV. DIFDL, OBXF!"

Pinch yourself: We're really squeezing light

2009-01-03T09:36:00.007-07:00

Several of my predictions for 2009 are about quantum computing and quantum cryptography. Many people don't have the foggiest idea what quantum physics is about, but amazing advances are just around the corner that will affect all of us. This topic really is the Next Big Thing, and it's an extremely relevant subject to code makers and code breakers. Throughout the year, we'll be keeping a very close eye on developments, like this one:

"A team of University of Toronto physicists have demonstrated a new technique to squeeze light to the fundamental quantum limit, a finding that has potential applications for high-precision measurement, next-generation atomic clocks, novel quantum computing and our most fundamental understanding of the universe," according to a news item posted at the university's Web site.

Payback plays out Down Under

2009-01-02T08:09:00.002-07:00

WINGSQELCH: WIWX GICSIQEE DKEEGD ELMWING WINGKINGOQ. RAGOQ KLUUD NLQJOH DMANG ZQET GCIKDING. WEETOQICS IQND ELM ICH NETOD WING.

ELMNETO: EJOQNETO YEOX YLTKOH WING ICH ULNGOH ELM. TIC BID GCENGOH ELM BROC BOIKEC WINGZAQOH.

A cryppie's predictions for 2009

2008-12-31T00:01:00.006-07:00

December 31, 2008 — Everything on this list is directly or indirectly related to cryptanalysis. They're not listed in any particular order. While many are saying that all or most of these items will happen within the decade, I say, "Give 'em 12 months." We'll revisit this list a year from today.

1. The commercial sector will begin using practical quantum computers.

2. Advances in DNA computing will lead to development of controllable cybernetic organisms, including self-replicating nanocomputers.

3. Prototype quantum cryptography networks will be set up on all seven continents.

4. A publicly acknowledged, conventional supercomputer will break the 100 petaflop/s barrier.

5. A DNA supercomputer will cryptanalyze the human genome, significantly speeding up developments in gene-therapy cures for major diseases.

6. The solution to the CIA's "Kryptos 4" will be announced.

7. Demonstrated threats to RSA will raise concerns about the encryption system's imminent collapse.

8. A huge cyberterrorist attack and counterattack will take place between entities in Europe and Asia.

9. Transcontinental quantum key distribution will be demonstrated.

10. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology will tap the supercomputing power of the subconscious mind for cryptanalytical applications.

Plagiarist, plagiarized: Both in same order?

2008-12-30T12:42:00.010-07:00

AWSD GWHUYRSK DTNGWHUYRSK AWSDTN QWSITPPTP: QWERTY ETUITQO PWSSTO WII UWWAAHOT

Hint

Not all that much has changed in 200 years

2008-12-26T09:12:00.001-07:00

Angry commodore, left, takes a feisty fiend
into custody.

BCGHOIM NCKA NIKATM:

OTCHA HCMDAT BCGHCOM
BCGHSTAU BCMHCMDATISU GOTCHA.

Q-encrypted communication goes mobile

2008-12-25T02:39:00.003-07:00

Barely out of diapers, quantum cryptography is ready to leave the nest. A prototype system, which was developed and tested by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, has left the comfort of a sterile laboratory and promises to overcome the limitations of its predecessors' fiber-optic chains.

"A simple polarization tracking method enables free-space quantum cryptography between mobile terminals, such as satellites and ground stations," according to this article from the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Igloo up for bid on eBay

2008-12-24T09:20:00.012-07:00

My brother and his wife are auctioning off an igloo for charity. Read the eBay listing.

Bidding starts at 99 cents. The "Buy It Now" price is $1,000,000. Proceeds from the sale of the snow sculpture will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

ULESPR WFQL WFQJPK VTKBFE: WFPPJUKS PXW FQVTKBE WQF REXP

Unexpected phone call leads to new mission

2008-12-24T08:07:00.009-07:00

December 24 — The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD, formerly the Continental Air Defense Command) continues to track the annual Christmas Eve travels of Santa Claus, as it has since 1955.

This holiday tradition began when a child called a misprinted number, which a business had published in a Colorado Springs newspaper. Colonel Harry Shoup, expecting a call from the Pentagon, answered the phone.

The colonel, now 91, was used to getting carefully worded phone calls, according to his daughter, Terri. She believes he thought for a moment that it was some sort of code.

Col. Shoup quickly figured out what had happened, though, and organized his radar operators to handle the flood of calls that followed.

Since the center's tracking data was classified "Top Secret," he issued a special order authorizing his staff to release any Santa-related radar intelligence, provided that the callers were children, who, presumably, would have a "need to know."

Now with decades of experience, that team is qualified to answer any technical questions about Santa that children might have. To speak to a live NORAD officer, call this toll-free number: 1–877–446–6723. (International callers may use the regular phone number, 1–719–556–5211.) The office will be taking calls until 3 a.m. (Mountain Standard Time) on Christmas morning. Online tracking is available at www.noradsanta.org, and e-mail may be sent to NORADTracksSanta@gmail.com.

NVIIB XSIRHGNZH ZMW Z SZKKB MVD BVZI!

Hint: The N is really an M, and the I is really an R.

Bilingual cryptogram game found online

2008-12-22T12:01:00.003-07:00

Cryptograma is a free, online game featuring simple substitution ciphers in two languages.

Its stock cryptograms are quotations from politicians, comedians, philosophers, and others — including Abraham Lincoln, Salvador Dalí, Woody Allen, Aristotle, and Mae West.

The difficulty level is very low, on average, and well within the reach of most beginners, but some of the subject material may be better suited for teens and adults.

More-advanced amateurs may find a challenge in working the xenocrypts. The user chooses between Spanish and English at the outset.

Cryptograma was created by Alicia Ramirez, a Web site developer residing in Winnipeg, Canada.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said

2008-12-21T05:30:00.002-07:00

QJI SRMBZE ESCR QXFBHPQ OFS ZEPG TFO GSOXG ESK GEPGTES DSXXGD EMSS FB ZFFSZE BH HQK ZEPGYE BHWHBZ FM STW CRETB E PGTEGBDP EPGYESXSZ KJ ST E PGGZFXGHHQYYG ZHQE ISJ E PGHGB

This is a not-so-simple simple substitution cipher. Punctuation and original spaces have been removed, and arbitrary spaces have been inserted. It has been translated into English from French. The cipher alphabet has been mixed using the English title of the speaker's first book.

Forty-three famous Americans

2008-12-20T09:06:00.009-07:00

Okay, this one's probably too tough for the grownups. Got any kids or grandkids around? Let's sit back and see if they can figure out what this is.

What's the meaning of these letters?

GW JA TJ JM JM JA AJ MV WH JT JP ZT
MF FP JB AL AJ UG RH JG CA GC BH GC
WM TR WT WW WH CC HH FR HT DE JK LJ
RN GF JC RR GB BC GB BO

Hint: See picture. Your initial hunch might be right.
Technical stuff: This is kind of a code, not a cipher.

Caption for a famous newspaper photo

2008-12-19T17:37:00.004-07:00

NLV NW. CKTHR IH LTZUFW'R LFFZ IFXFTZU CWFRDEFXZDTK EFRV.

Ouch. Need help? The picture says it all.

Mark Twain once said

2008-12-19T14:23:00.004-07:00

HOEEN USVAU TTADH REAOF STRTO UNTII WDNRS UAOID OLNIW WSMLS SNONW RDATA WOOTT EEYWB THGOY AMBON SECAV ARTIC LHDDG EAHUE EEYER OLTEN TTYSA HNNIF MAAHN HRHBN OHHDE WFYSN ADEOE EENOA IA

This is a numerically-keyed columnar transposition cipher with a matrix width of 9.

One quantum leap for mankind

2008-12-16T08:36:00.012-07:00

GPGIGQS IQZQ: LYOHOP AQLHGJTN, AYQJZTN, JTSTQITN *

"Researchers at Geneva University have developed a 'quantum memory,' capturing a single particle of light (a photon) in a crystal and then reproducing and retransmitting it." As unbelievable as this report from Swiss Broadcasting Corporation may sound, this is the future of computing, communication, and cryptography. (Will cryptanalysis ever be re-invented?)

* This cryptogram is a keyword-mixed simple substitution cipher, so keeping track of letter recoveries will reveal "alphabetic progression," which can aid in the solution. Overlaps between the plaintext and ciphertext often occur in this type of field cipher. In this case, the letter O is the same in both alphabets.

Forget 90210 — We've got a new "Zyp code"

2008-12-15T22:23:00.012-07:00

Cryptopop designs challenging (yet "simple") substitution ciphers, called Zyptograms (or "Zyps"). He was kind enough to tailor one of these word puzzles just for us. As a not-very-helpful hint, I've added a title to it.

So, it can help us break more than just ciphers

ZYP-WY-WBJGHLDWN YWWDITHOG ITHOLGZPW ITGWN WBJHQ QYZGW.

A gift for the cryptanalyst in your life

2008-12-15T00:36:00.013-07:00

Receive (or give) a monthly dose of cryptograms with a one-year subscription to The Squeamish Ossifrage, a hardcopy newsletter named for the famous solution to the original RSA–129 challenge: "The magic words are 'squeamish ossifrage.'"

The first issue was published in January 2009. A gift subscription would make a perfect birthday present for the cryptanalyst in your life.

The Squeamish Ossifrage contains news and puzzles not found on this site, and it's suitable for all ages. Each issue includes an assortment of about ten cryptograms, ranging from easy to challenging.

Click the Subscribe button, below, to order with a credit card, or send a check for $14.92 to MuPu, PO BOX 1492 DEPT SO, LARAMIE WY 82073–1492.

I dream of NAENIEJ

2008-12-14T11:08:00.005-07:00

Computers may be able to display our dreams someday, according to this item from Scientific American. According to the article, researchers have developed a "new analysis technology that can reconstruct the images inside a person's brain and display them on a computer screen."

Imagine tapping into the vast subconscious computing power of the brain for cryptanalysis. In fact, in the experiment referred to in the article, images of letters were successfully extracted from the minds of study participants.

Maybe I won't have to worry about this problem, which happened to me a few days ago, again:

UGXOI ETFG HLSCPPI EWCEOX LS FWGCQ, XTPZYLTS XPLUX QLSF QTQGSYX CHYGW JGYYLSJ ZU

Voice talent wasted?

2008-12-13T14:43:00.002-07:00

ECH, NAKTRNLU YNLUXQAKTRQEU, MCYN HKR UMXKDL QU CAA CDCH?

John Quincy Adams said

2008-12-11T09:03:00.002-07:00

LHZMJBPJ HBT LJINJCJIHBPJ VHCJ H WHOMPHE JSSJPZ QJSKIJ UVMPV TMSSMPFEZMJN TMNHLLJHI HBT KQNZHPEJN CHBMNV.

APD may pave way for future crypto apps

2008-12-08T08:11:00.011-07:00

Dec. 8, 2008 — This blurb appeared today in the U.K. e-zine New Electronics.

Will this high-speed breakthrough be able to handle the data-transfer requirements of tomorrow's encryption applications?

1941

2008-12-07T05:48:00.004-07:00

WY EM XIGM EIL EWJX JXM HRWJMA KJIJMK, EM EWTT XIGM RQ XQPM QY EWRRWRZ, HRTMKK JXM H.K. YTMMJ WR XIEIWWIR EIJMLK FIR NM AMKJLQCMA. — YTMMJ IASWLIT WKQLQUH CISISQJQ

Tuberculosis specialist honored

2008-12-05T07:13:00.002-07:00

KEF QRLKPCF LKPVQ IFPKJMZUC QEKEZLZRWRCZLK FTGPMT KMJTFPJ EPL P IPSF HPWJF RI LFHFUKB-LZD SFUKL.
(somewhat tricky, at first)

Online commerce’s urban legend

2008-12-01T03:46:00.005-07:00

Difficult version (numerically keyed columnar transposition cipher)
YCNLH VATIE OAAMO GGAEU NSGXC RFNSD GBITN XTYDO AILOE RPYHB AWNNL BSNPX MLOLT IYDST HDIEY IKGEE TEIX

Easy version (simple columnar transposition cipher)
MLOLT IYDST HDYCN LHVAT IEOAT YDOAI LOERP YHBAW NNLBS NPXIE YIKGE ETEIX CRFNS DGBIT NXAMO GGAEU NSGX

Terror incident in India ends

2008-11-29T23:30:00.003-07:00

IWKYY-ABD JVYXY YQAJ VQ RHROBV. SBJI PZ IYKKPKVJIJ VQ WPJIBXY JIBQAPZZ TVSSYA OD VQAVBQ MPRRBQAPJ. WHQAKYAJ AYBA PK FPHQAYA BI QHRYKPHJ SBQARBKTJ IWKPHXWPHI IWY WYBKI PZ IWY MVID.

Students, please put down your pencils

2008-11-25T20:54:00.009-07:00

Anyone care to comment on some possible cryptanalytical applications?

If you don't have the patience ...

2008-11-25T06:21:00.008-07:00

... to break codes, then you probably won't want to take this up, either:

GO ATOM POZ ORRZLRM,
MUERMMRZ SGVLZRE MCVLAUM STCEGMCGATC GEU PEU

(Confirmed)

Common thing uncommon in this cryptogram

2008-11-24T14:09:00.009-07:00

QSBP AMYKQJIMEG WEPH'Q PJ QJUIS. YJU KMJTETFY CUPQ IJQ AEUISQ UK BH GBHBHI RJM EH N EHO GEDBHI WEY QJJ GEHY EPPUGKQBJHP ETJUQ PSJMQ WJMOP. PUAS AMYKQEHEFYQBAEF EQQEADP UPUEFFY QUMH UK IJFO, TUQ KBADBHI EKEMQ WJMOP WBQS OBPQBHAQ FJJDP (PUAS EP AJHQMEAQBJHP EHO QSBP WJMO AJGBHI UK BH BQEFBAP) WBFF EFGJPQ EFWEYP SBQ KEY OBMQ.

Need help solving cryptograms?

2008-11-22T20:04:00.006-07:00

Okay, Decrypto 8.5 is a little more than just "help." This program can solve just about any simple substitution cipher, even those with nondictionary words and even those without "true" spaces. It was designed by Edwin Olson, a professor at the University of Michigan.

Here's a free online version that you can use for your immediate emergency.

And here's a free downloadable version to keep on your desktop for the longer term.

If, on the other hand, you just need a small hint or two, write to BreakingCodes@gmail.com.

EGID? APFED? Let’s find the solution

2008-11-22T12:12:00.005-07:00

Watch the video for clues to solving the following cryptogram.

EFBW YBSSFW, MBPFKHJ, BSE JASYFW, K JTUF PTYX TG UFTUPF RKXKY YJF PKSM CFPTI YT GKSE TAY QTWF BCTAY FTXKSTUJKPKD HBXYWTKSYFXYKSBP EKXTWEFWX. PTRF, ASDPF CKPP

http://www.apfed.org/