Manual of Codes & Ciphers

Royal Signals Museum

cODES & cODEBREAKING

Terms & Definitions Code In a code, a word or a symbol stands for a complete thought. For example, ZAP or can mean I will meet you at the station. TAN or can mean 4:00 pm. Then ZAP TAN or means, I will meet you at the STATION at 4:00 pm. Codes require at least two codebooks, one for the sender and one for the receiver. Using a code can be difficult because you have to invent all the code words or symbols you might need before you use the code. If the enemy (like your little brother or sister) gets a hold of one of the codebooks, you have to start all over and create a new code. Cipher In a cipher, each letter, number, or symbol stands for one letter of the alphabet. For example, in a number code 1 could stand for A, 2 for B, 3 for C, and so on. Since ciphers consist of a complete alphabet, they are more flexible than codes. Ciphers can be used to send any message you want, not just ones that are already in your codebook. PLAINTEXT is a message written in plain English CIPHERTEXT is a message written in a cipher NULL a meaningless letter, number, or symbol in a ciphertext message placed there to either fill out the number of units in the message or to confuse anyone trying to break the cipher ENCODE put a message into code DECODE translate a message from code to plaintext ENCIPHER put a message into ciphertext DECIPHER translate a message from ciphertext to plaintext CRYPTOGRAPHER a person who works with codes or ciphers.

THE HISTORY OF cODES

Since humans began writing, they have been communicating in code. This obsession with secrecy has had dramatic effects on the outcome of wars, monarchies and individual lives. The oldest means of sending secret messages is to simply conceal them by one trick or another. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote that when the Persian Emperor Xerxes moved to attack Greece in 480 BC, the Greeks were warned by a Greek named Demaratus who was living in exile in Persia. In those days, wooden tablets covered with wax were used for writing. Demaratus wrote a message on the wooden tablet itself and then covered it with wax, allowing the vital information to be smuggled out of the country. The idea of obscuring the message so that it could not be read even if it was intercepted, and the result was "cryptography", Greek for "hidden writing". The result was the development of "codes", or secret languages, and "ciphers", or scrambled messages. The distinction between codes and ciphers is commonly misunderstood. A "code" is essentially a secret language invented to conceal the meaning of a message. A "cipher" conceals a plaintext message by replacing or scrambling its letters. This process is known as "enciphering" and results in a "ciphertext" message. Converting a ciphertext message back to a plaintext message is known as "deciphering".

Caeser cIphers
The Roman conqueror Julius Caesar used an easy substitution cipher for sending his secret messages. He simply replaced each letter with the third letter after it in the alphabet, so that plaintext a became ciphertext d and plaintext b became ciphertext e, and so on.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C

Decipher:

FDHVDU DG VXP MDP IRUWH SRPSHLL DGRUDW

Caesars Cipher with a Keyword

Because it is difficult to remember an incoherent string of 26 letters, cipher alphabets are often based on a single word that is easy to memorize. The simplest method is to write out the keyword, omitting any repeated letters, then to follow it with the remaining letters of the alphabet in order. A keyword should be between five and nine letters long. It must only have one of each letter in it. If your keyword does have more than one of any letter, omit any repeated letters. For example, if your selected keyword was Books you would use boks leave out the second o. Here is a Substitution Cipher with ROYALSIGNALS as the keyword. Make sure your friend knows the keyword.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z R O Y A L S I G N B C D E F H J K M P Q T U V W X Z

Decipher:

YRLPRM PNY NF HEFNOTP JHEJLNN PNY NF GRQ

Mary Queen of Scots

To prove the importance of secure ciphers, here is the tragic story of Mary Queen of Scots, who was foolish enough to use a weak cipher in the 16th century, long after codebreakers had mastered frequency analysis. To cut a long story short, Mary wanted to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I, and began exchanging messages with her coconspirators, in particular Anthony Babington. This was dubbed the Babington Plot. Their messages were so treacherous that they were enciphered, so that they could not be read if they fell into the wrong hands. The cipher that Mary used is shown below. It has a cipher alphabet, with substitutions for each letter from A to Z. The cipher also contains some code symbols for the most common words, and some more sophisticated symbols. This mixture of

codes and ciphers is known as a nomenclator. Mary's messages were captured by Elizabeth's spies and they were cracked by her chief codebreaker. Mary was immediately arrested, put on trial and the deciphered messages were used as evidence of her treachery. She was found guilty and was executed in 1587 ... all because her cipher was cracked.

The Pigpen Cipher

The Pigpen Cipher was used by Freemasons in the 18th Century to keep their records private. The cipher does not substitute one letter for another; rather it substitutes each letter for a symbol. The alphabet is written in the grids shown, and then each letter is enciphered by replacing it with a symbol that corresponds to the portion of the pigpen grid that contains the letter. For example

You can see below a message in plaintext

LINES AND SQUARES In Cryptogram form it looks like this ~

Encipher ~ This cipher is the pig pen Decipher ~

the rest. we have given part of a message decipher

What do you get if you cross.....

The ALPHABET CODE

The Alphabet Code was used by the Germans during World War I. It is easy to use. The coding starts with making a 6 x 6 grid as shown below. The letters along the top and down the side are used for coding. This grid must be known by both the sender and the receiver. You will note that it includes all letters of the alphabet and all single numbers. The first stage of coding is to take each letter of the message and find its position on the grid. 8 would be DF. C would be CA. A would be AA.

A B C D E F
H E

A A G M S Y 5

B B H N T Z 6

C C I O U 1 7

D D J P V 2 8

E E K Q W 3 9

F F L R X 4 0

Message Coded Message

N E M Y

BD BB EA

EA BC EA AC AE

Now see if you can decode the following message that has been encoded using ALPHABET CODE. BD BB EA FC EA - AA FC EA - CE FF - EA BC EA AC AE - CC BC - BD BB EA - FC CC AA DA. This is a longer message that will take you more time to decode. Do you know the answer to the questions. If not they can be found on the Museum web site. CB BC - ED BB AA BD - AE EA AA FC - ED AA AD - BD BB EA FC CC AE AA FB - AD CB AB BC AA FB AD - FA CC FC AC EA DA. ED BB AA BD - CB AD - BD BB EA CB FC - AC CC BD BD CC.

ALPHABET PAIRS
In the ALPHABET PAIRS Code the letters of the alphabet are listed in pairs as shown below. This can be done at random. Numbers can also be included.

A B C D E F GH I J K L M 1 2 3 4 5 NO P QR S T U VWX Y Z 6 7 8 9 0
The coded message is produced by substituting the original letter with its partner: A becomes N. - 1 becomes 6. - Z becomes M. And so on.

Message: MOVE AT 1000 HOURS. Becomes coded Message: ZBIR NG 6555 UBHEF. Now try decoding this message: BHE ZVFFVBA VF GB PNCGHER GUR UVYY. Try arranging a new list of alphabet pairs on a piece of paper and then send and receive messages with a friend.

SPY LINGO Asset: a clandestine source or method, usually an agent. Babysitter: bodyguard. Bagman: an agent who pays spies and bribes authorities. Bang and Burn: demolition and sabotage operations. Birdwatcher: slang used by British Intelligence for a spy. Black Bag Job: secret entry into a home or office to steal or copy materials. Black Operations: covert operations that are not attributable to the organization performing them.

the SAW-TOOTH or zigzag CODE

It is easy to see how the saw-tooth coding system got its name. First, the message to be coded is written out with alternate letters on upper and lower lines. The effect is to make it look like the teeth of a saw: THERE IS NO AMMUNITION LEFT FOR THE RIFLES Then the top line is written followed by the bottom line to provide the coded message:

T E E S O M U I I N E T O T E I L S H R I N A M N T O L F F R H R F E X
TEESOMUIINETOTEILSHRINAMNTOLFFRHRFEX. Now try decoding the above message by doing the reverse. First, divide into 2 equal halves. Second, put the second half under the first. Third. write down the decoded message by taking alternate letters for the upper and lower lines - start with the upper line first. Can you see why there is an X at the end of the coded message? Now see if you can decode this message: TEOASGASABDESNWAJMYYHSLIRHRYLINLCPAGIKONSIMBTEODES.

SPY LINGO MI-5: the British domestic counter-intelligence service. MI-6: the British foreign intelligence service. Mole: an agent of one organization sent to penetrate a specific intelligence agency by gaining employment. Music Box: slang for a clandestine radio. Musician: slang for a clandestine radio operator. Naked: a spy operating without cover or backup.

POLYBIUS SQUARE
Polybius was an ancient Greek writer who first proposed a method of substituting different two-digit numbers for each letter. The alphabet is written inside a 5 x 5 square matrix which has numbered rows and columns. Because i and j are not used very often they share a cell. You should be able to figure out which letter is intended by looking at the rest of the message. To encode a message using the Polybius Cipher, always put the column number first and then the row number. For example: D = 41 and Q = 14 To decode a message, find each letter represented by the twodigit number by reading across the top of the table and then down the side. For example: 44 = T and 21 = B

1 2 3 4 5

1 A F L Q V

2 B G M R W

3 C H N S X

4 D I/J O T Y

5 E K P U Z

Encipher ~ Polybius was a Greek writer Decipher

44, 32, 42, 34, - 31, 43, 41, 51 - 54, 34, 51, 34, - 33, 54, 23, 21, 51, 24, 34, - 42, 33, - 53, 13, 11, 31, 51, 43, 12, - 13, 51, 44, 44, 51, 24, 34. To make it more difficult to decipher leave out all punctuation and spaces ! 9

BRAILLE
People who are blind often rely on a system of writing called Braille that could also serve as a substitution cipher for secret messages. The History of Braille. Braille has been an effective means of communication for blind people since 1829 when Louis Braille invented it. Louis lost his sight at the age of three as a result of an eye injury. As a young boy at school, he became frustrated with the large and bulky raised letter alphabet used to learn reading and writing skills. Later in his life, a French artillery officer, Charles Barbier de la Serre, gave Louis the idea of reading by a tactile code. After many years of experimenting, Louis Braille developed a successful reading and writing system that today is used around the world.

Decipher this message.

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THE MANUAL ALPHABET

The Manual alphabet was created for those with hearing diffculties but can also be used when speech is not allowed ! There are different forms, this is the English version. The American version uses one hand.

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THE INTERNATIONAL FLAG CODE

The International Flag Code is another visual flag code used by sailors. The British Royal Navy developed it in the 18th century and it is still used around the world. In this code each flag represents one letter. The flags are run up on a rope and the message is read from top to bottom; the highest flag is the first part of the message

Decipher this message.

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morse code
Morse code is really a substitution cipher. It was developed by Samuel Morse in 1832 to use over telegraph wires. A special type of code was needed for the telegraph since sounds, but not voices, could be sent over the wires. Morse code is made up of sound combinations of clicks and rests called dots and dashes. Morse was not trying to make a secret code. He wanted a code that could be used easily by many people. Morse code is arranged for the easiest possible use. Since E is the most frequently used letter in the English alphabet, Morse gave it the shortest sound a single dot. T is the next most frequently used letter and it has the next shortest sound a single dash. The most famous Morse code message is SOS. Ships or planes send this message if they need help. These letters were chosen as the help signal because they are easy to understand. Try tapping out the SOS signal on a table. Morse code can be a sound code by tapping with pencils, snapping fingers, or blowing whistles. It can be a sight code by waving flags, flashing lights or moving items slowly or quickly. Try sending a Morse code message to a friend using flashlights in a dark room.

A E I M Q U Y 1 5 9

-------- ----

B - - F J --N - R - V Z -- 2 --6 - 0 -----

C -- G -- K -O --S W -3 7 ---

D - H L - P -- T X -4 8 ---

SEMAPHORE
Semaphore is a code which sailors used to send messages from ship to ship, before the days of radio. It was also used by the Army although in later days the Army went on to use Morse Flags.

Decipher

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Answers
Page 3 - Caesars Cipher Decipher: Caesar ad sum jam for tea Pompeii adorat

Caesars cipher with keyword Decipher Caesar sic in omnibus Pompeii sic in hat Page 5 - Pigpen Cipher Encipher:

Decipher

A cat with a lemon - A Sourpuss.

Page 6 - The Alphabet Code Decipher 1. There are 10 enemy on the road Decipher 2. In what year was the Royal Signals formed? What is their motto?. Page 7 - Alphabet Pairs Decipher Page 8 - Zig-zag code Decipher 1. Decipher 2. Page 9 - Polybius Square. Encipher Page 10 - Braille Decipher Page 12 - Flag Code Decipher Page 12 - Semaphore Decipher Our mission is to capture the hill There is no ammunition left for the rifles. Visit web site. 53,43,13,45,21,421,54,34 - 25,11,34 11 - 22,24,51,51,52, - 25,24,42,44,51,24. Send reinforcements England Expects. Advance