Dunin E. Codebreaking. A Practical Guide Expanded Edition 2023

Textbook in PDF format

Solve history’s most hidden secrets alongside expert codebreakers Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh, as they guide you through the world of encrypted texts. With a focus on cracking real-world document encryptions - including some crime-based coded mysteries that remain unsolved - you’ll be introduced to the free computer software that professional cryptographers use, helping you build your skills with state-of-the art tools. You’ll also be inspired by thrilling success stories, like how the first three parts of Kryptos were broken.
Each chapter introduces you to a specific cryptanalysis technique, and presents factual examples of text encrypted using that scheme—from modern postcards to 19-century newspaper ads, war-time telegrams, notes smuggled into prisons, and even entire books written in code. Along the way, you’ll work on NSA-developed challenges, detect and break a Caesar cipher, crack an encrypted journal from the movie The Prestige, and much more.
While the art and craft of encryption is referred to as cryptography, the breaking of cryptograms is called cryptanalysis. Codebreaking is another word for cryptanalysis. Also, the term cryptology often means cryptography and cryptanalysis but can also mean the study of everything encryption related, including people, machines, systems, and history. The term crypto can be used as a catchall term to apply to many items on this list. Generally, cryptology refers to messages that are encrypted, but sometimes, steganography, the hiding of information, is included in cryptology as well.
You’ll learn:
- How to crack simple substitution, polyalphabetic, and transposition ciphers
- How to use free online cryptanalysis software, like CrypTool 2, to aid your analysis
- How to identify clues and patterns to figure out what encryption scheme is being used
- How to encrypt your own emails and secret messages
Preface
Chapter 1: How can I break an encrypted message? And other introductory questions
Chapter 2: The Caesar cipher
Chapter 3: Simple substitution ciphers
Chapter 4: Simple substitution ciphers without spaces between words: Patristocrats
Chapter 5: Simple substitution ciphers in non-English languages
Chapter 6: Homophonic ciphers
Chapter 7: Codes and nomenclators
Chapter 8: Polyalphabetic ciphers
Chapter 9: Complete columnar transposition ciphers
Chapter 10: Incomplete columnar transposition ciphers
Chapter 11: Turning grille transposition ciphers
Chapter 12: Digraph substitution
Chapter 13: Abbreviation ciphers
Chapter 14: Dictionary codes and book ciphers
Chapter 15: Additional encryption methods
Chapter 16: Solving ciphers with hill climbing
Chapter 17: What next?