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Code and ciphers: Julius Caesar, the Enigma and the internet

Code and ciphers: Julius Caesar, the Enigma and the internet

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mistake can occur if <strong>the</strong> sender leaves out a letter of <strong>the</strong> text of <strong>the</strong> book<br />

key, for example:<br />

Example 7.5 (Spy makes a mistake <strong>and</strong> gives <strong>the</strong> game away)<br />

Two messages from <strong>the</strong> same person <strong>and</strong> with identical indicators were<br />

sent within hours of each o<strong>the</strong>r; <strong>the</strong> cipher texts were<br />

ZECBH MOPJO IIUXJ ELFDR WRSJX CQ.<br />

ZECSS HLIEL RVBCM CUAKA OLPBP PPP<br />

We shall begin <strong>the</strong> decryption on <strong>the</strong> assumption that, since <strong>the</strong> first<br />

message has one letter fewer than <strong>the</strong> second, <strong>the</strong> sender left out a letter of<br />

<strong>the</strong> book key in <strong>the</strong> first message <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n re-enciphered <strong>the</strong> text correctly<br />

in <strong>the</strong> second message.<br />

Start of solution<br />

Since <strong>the</strong> first three letters of <strong>the</strong> cipher text are <strong>the</strong> same in both cases we<br />

assume that it was <strong>the</strong> fourth letter of <strong>the</strong> book key that was not used in <strong>the</strong><br />

first message. If we were to try all 26 possibilities for this letter in <strong>the</strong><br />

second cipher message we would obtain 26 possibilities for <strong>the</strong> fourth<br />

letter of <strong>the</strong> message <strong>and</strong>, in each case, this would <strong>the</strong>n give us <strong>the</strong> fifth<br />

letter of <strong>the</strong> book key from <strong>the</strong> first cipher message. With <strong>the</strong> fifth letter of<br />

<strong>the</strong> book key we would <strong>the</strong>n recover <strong>the</strong> fifth letter of <strong>the</strong> message from <strong>the</strong><br />

second cipher message, which would <strong>the</strong>n lead us to <strong>the</strong> sixth letter of <strong>the</strong><br />

book key from <strong>the</strong> first cipher message; <strong>and</strong> so on. We are thus enabled to<br />

unravel both <strong>the</strong> book key <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> message from <strong>the</strong> fourth letter onwards.<br />

Of course we initially have to try all 26 possibilities for <strong>the</strong> fourth key letter<br />

but we would quickly be able to see which was <strong>the</strong> right one when <strong>the</strong> book<br />

key <strong>and</strong> message texts began to appear. To save time <strong>and</strong> space we will<br />

simply look at what happens when we choose <strong>the</strong> right letter, which is F,as<br />

<strong>the</strong> fourth letter of <strong>the</strong> key. We shall refer to <strong>the</strong> cipher texts as CT1 <strong>and</strong><br />

CT2; CT2 is <strong>the</strong> correct text <strong>and</strong> CT1 has <strong>the</strong> error. The plaintext letters can<br />

be worked out directly, as shown below, or by using Table 7.3.<br />

From CT2: (cipher – key) at position 4�plaintext letter at position<br />

4; i.e.<br />

S�F�N.<br />

From CT1: (cipher – plain) at position 4�key letter at position 5;<br />

i.e.<br />

B�N�O.<br />

Ciphers for spies 87

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