Free Republic

CAN YOU CRACK A CODE? Try Your Hand at Cryptanalysis Last year, we challenged you to crack a code created by the “cryptanalysts” in our FBI Laboratory, who are experts in breaking ciphers of all kinds. Tens of thousands of you did so. Are you ready for round two? We hope so. But bear in mind, this year's code is slightly more difficult. Once again: if you want a primer on basic cipher systems and how to break them, see the article "Analysis of Criminal Codes and Ciphers." And if you’re a youngster, we suggest you start with the code...

New mathematical attack works against a broad range cryptographic functions.Unless you're a dyed in the wool cryptographic geek you probably didn't know that there was a Crypto conference, or even a chain of worldwide crypto conferences that take place each year. Fortunately, for the most of us that aren't crypto geeks there are a handful of very highly skilled people who are; they can take the highly theoretical and complex mathematical proofs and arguments that make up most of modern cryptographic and cryptanalytic research and put it into plain language. Probably the best known is Bruce Schneier, who is a...

NOTE: If I know anything about the rabid naysayers on FR, at least some of the RELIGIOUS [vs spiritual] types will wail and rant that ANYTHING having to do with numbers and The Bible has to be crossing the line into dealing with Biblically forbidden NUMEROLOGY. This is nonsense. The dictionary definition of “numerology” makes clear that numerology is the study of numbers, as the figures designating the year of one’s birth, “to determine their supposed influence on one’s life, future, etc.” [Quix color, bold emphasis on the definition from: HERE: http://www.infoplease.com/ipd/A0562554.html Clearly, the Biblically prohibited issue is INTEREST IN,...