Well actually one story and one video.
After five centuries these secrets are finally revealed
Modern day computer technology got a kick start in World War II when it was developed to crack codes. Google Bletchley Park, where one of these crypto computers and Alan Turing were based, and watch what appears in Google’s side bar.
Even with computers, some codes are hard to break. If you do not know exactly what book is being shared in a book cipher it can very technically very difficult to break in real time.
Recently researchers from Loria laboratory have broken an encoded letter from 1547, it took them more than six months even with computers.
Emperor Charles V’s secret code cracked after five centuries | Spain | The Guardian
The message, you will have to read the article to find out.
Do you believe information should be free?
The video is a well put together documentary of the internet mystery set by the mysterious Cicada 3301. Who or what is Cicada 3301? It could be a government agency looking for smart hackers or a corporation about to promote a product (probably not as no product was advertised). The best guess from the video is that it is a group of individuals with a keen interest in privacy and wanting to meet capable individuals who can help with their privacy project.
This elaborate puzzle hunt includes many of the elements of good cyber security cryptography, steganography, ciphers, prime numbers, secrecy, decoys, multi-factor authentication, PGP signatures, book codes, the deep web and runes. Well maybe not runes. Which is why it made “Because It’s Friday”.
One more thing…
Because It’s Christmas
Back for its regular Christmas slot on the Octagon blog is my list of presents for those geeks in your life, who when asked what they want for Christmas say “nothing”, although what they really want is a used napkin signed by Leonard Nimoy that may or may not include some of his DNA.
Clive Catton MSc (Cyber Security) – by-line and other articles
Further Reading
Pretty Good Privacy – Wikipedia
