cryptanalysts

Secret message decoders

Cryptanalysts are specialists who break codes and ciphers—decrypting secret communications without having the key.

The work combines mathematics, pattern recognition, and computing.

During World War II, cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park famously broke the German Enigma code.

The NSA employs thousands of cryptanalysts.

profession

codebreakers

Those who decipher encrypted messages

decodersDevices that interpret ciphers
mathematiciansThose who study numbers
linguistsScholars of language structure

NSA · Bletchley Park · signals intelligence · SIGINT · classified · clearance · agencies · cryptologists · government contractors · defense

historical

Turing

EnigmaGerman encryption apparatus
UltraPremium product line marker
NavajoSouthwestern indigenous people

Zimmermann Telegram · Purple · Colossus · Friedman · Midway · codetalkers · Lorenz

techniques

pattern recognition

Identifying regularities in inputs

substitutionExchange of one for another
transpositionSwapping positions of elements
brute forcePower over technique

statistical analysis · trigram · reverse engineering

targets

ciphers

Encoded messages or zeroes

codesSystems for secrecy
cryptosystemsEncryption and decryption methods
algorithmsFinite instruction sequences

keys · protocols · RSA · AES · DES · digital signatures · military communications · diplomatic cables

Categories

codebreakerscodebreaker, codebreakers, decoders, decoder, cryptographers
code makers

Opposites

code-breaking vs code-making

cryptanalystscryptographers

Those who create ciphers

codemakers · encryptors · encoders

Family

cryptanalysis, cryptanalyst

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G