crypto history Archivi

The Kasiski Method: what it is, how it works, and why it’s important in cryptography

The Kasiski Method is a fundamental technique in classical cryptography used to break polyalphabetic ciphers, particularly the famous Vigenère cipher. Developed in the 19th century by the German cryptographer Friedrich...

The Vigenère Cipher: one of the most famous encryption systems in history

05 Aug

The Vigenère cipher is one of the most famous encryption systems in history. Used to protect sensitive messages and confidential communications, it represents an evolution of the simpler Caesar cipher....

Leon Battista Alberti’s cipher disk

18 Jul

Leon Battista Alberti’s cipher disk, described in “De cifris” around 1467, is the first polyalphabetic encryption system. The device consists of two concentric discs, rotating relative to each other, containing...

The Caesar cipher

07 Feb

In cryptography, the Caesar cipher is one of the oldest cryptographic algorithms of which there is a historical trace. It is a mono-alphabetic substitution cipher, in which each letter of...

History of cryptography: the scitala

29 Nov

The scitala or scital (in ancient Greek: σκυτάλη, skytàlē, “stick”) is traditionally considered an encrypted and secret message that was sent by the ephors, the five supreme magistrates of Sparta,...