cryptanalysis
Deciphering secret messages
Cryptanalysis is the study and practice of breaking codes and ciphers—deciphering encrypted messages without having the key.
It's the offensive counterpart to cryptography, which creates secure codes.
Intelligence agencies employ cryptanalysts to intercept and decode enemy communications: The cryptanalysis of the Enigma machine shortened World War II.
German encryption apparatus
- bombeDome-shaped frozen confection
- UltraPremium product line marker
- ColossusImmense statue or figure
- LorenzAustrian animal behaviorist
Turing · Purple · Babbage · Friedman · crib · breaking · wartime · intercept
Convert code to plaintext
- plaintextUnencoded readable information
- ciphertextEncoded, unreadable message
- brute-forcePower without finesse
- differentialRelative difference between things
linear · side-channel · collision · weakness · vulnerability · exploit · reverse-engineering
Hidden writing system
Intelligence from communications intercepts
- NSAFederal cryptologic intelligence agency
- codebreakerOne who deciphers ciphers
- interceptSeize en route
- surveillanceSystematic observation of subjects
classified · communications · metadata · counterintelligence · cryptologic · agencies · monitoring · eavesdropping
Power without finesse
- side-channelUnintended data emanation route
- hill-climbingGoing up elevated terrain
Enigma
German encryption apparatus
Turing · Lorenz · Purple · Babbage · Friedman · crib · breaking · wartime · intercept
decipher
Convert code to plaintext
- plaintextUnencoded readable information
- ciphertextEncoded, unreadable message
- brute-forcePower without finesse
differential · linear · side-channel · collision · weakness · vulnerability · exploit · reverse-engineering
cipher
Hidden writing system
SIGINT
Intelligence from communications intercepts
- NSAFederal cryptologic intelligence agency
- codebreakerOne who deciphers ciphers
- interceptSeize en route
surveillance · classified · communications · metadata · counterintelligence · cryptologic · agencies · monitoring · eavesdropping
brute-force
Power without finesse
- side-channelUnintended data emanation route
- hill-climbingGoing up elevated terrain
- codes and cipherscipher, code, decode, ciphertext, plaintext
- espionagespy, spies, double agent, double agents, spying
- codes & cipherscode breaking, decoding, morse code, substitution, transposition
- interpretationinterpretive dance, translation, interpreting, translating, construing
- secret codescipher, secret code, secret codes, code word, password
- cipherscipher, Caesar cipher, substitution cipher, ciphertext, plaintext
cryptanalysiscryptography
Science of secure messaging
encryption · encoding · data encryption · steganography · cryptology