Hate To Be A Burden, But I've Got A Few Questions.

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Hate To Be A Burden, But I've Got A Few Questions.; I know just about zip about Cryptography
Topic Started: Oct 5 2005, 09:22 PM (246 Views)
spookyu	Oct 5 2005, 09:22 PM Post #1
Just registered Posts: 4 Group: New Members Member #12 Joined: September 9, 2005	Hello, I joined this site a while ago with the intent of learning a thing or two about cryptography then hopefully contributing something to this “community”. Well, one thing leads to another it this site was lost in my depths of my bookmarks and any hopes I had of learning anything about cryptography on my own were crushed after reading a few things on your forums. I could barely understand half of it, probably because half of it has to do with programming (which happens to be another pursuit of mine that, well, isn’t going anywhere). To the point, I know almost nothing about cryptography, I was wondering if someone would point me in the write direction for getting started, or maybe tutor me themselves. I’m sure the last thing any of you want to do is take on in a novice, but I’m a good student, and a fast learner. Carl



rot13	Oct 5 2005, 09:26 PM Post #2
Elite member Posts: 306 Group: Trusted Member Member #14 Joined: September 29, 2005	Lanaki's Classical Cryptography Course is a good place to start.



PulsarSL	Oct 5 2005, 09:27 PM Post #3
Super member Posts: 157 Group: Members Member #7 Joined: September 1, 2005	spookyu Oct 5 2005, 09:22 PM Hello, I joined this site a while ago with the intent of learning a thing or two about cryptography then hopefully contributing something to this “community”. Well, one thing leads to another it this site was lost in my depths of my bookmarks and any hopes I had of learning anything about cryptography on my own were crushed after reading a few things on your forums. I could barely understand half of it, probably because half of it has to do with programming (which happens to be another pursuit of mine that, well, isn’t going anywhere). To the point, I know almost nothing about cryptography, I was wondering if someone would point me in the write direction for getting started, or maybe tutor me themselves. I’m sure the last thing any of you want to do is take on in a novice, but I’m a good student, and a fast learner. Carl Velcome, "Carl", if that is your real name.



spookyu	Oct 5 2005, 09:27 PM Post #4
Just registered Posts: 4 Group: New Members Member #12 Joined: September 9, 2005	HOLY $@^( that was fast. Thanks. Ohh shut up kevin (Pulsar). He is the one that told me to join.



PulsarSL	Oct 5 2005, 09:29 PM Post #5
Super member Posts: 157 Group: Members Member #7 Joined: September 1, 2005	spookyu Oct 5 2005, 09:27 PM HOLY $@^( that was fast. Thanks. lol. Donald and insecure have a habit of posting at the exact same time. Just preparing you. Pulsar



insecure	Oct 5 2005, 09:33 PM Post #6
Elite member Posts: 381 Group: Trusted Member Member #10 Joined: September 9, 2005	Donald and I post at the same time in a desperate bid to convince you that we really are two separate people. spookyu - ask your questions HERE if you find interactive learning useful and don't mind the somewhat random response times! You don't have to understand all the stuff we rabbit on about. Ask some simple questions and you'll get some (hopefully) fairly simple answers. We wouldn't be here if we didn't like nattering on and on about this stuff!



insecure	Oct 5 2005, 09:34 PM Post #7
Elite member Posts: 381 Group: Trusted Member Member #10 Joined: September 9, 2005	Come on Donald, hurry up.



PulsarSL	Oct 5 2005, 09:42 PM Post #8
Super member Posts: 157 Group: Members Member #7 Joined: September 1, 2005	insecure Oct 5 2005, 09:34 PM Come on Donald, hurry up. Maybe he fell asleep -- IBC has drained him. Pulsar



spookyu	Oct 5 2005, 09:46 PM Post #9
Just registered Posts: 4 Group: New Members Member #12 Joined: September 9, 2005	insecure Oct 5 2005, 09:33 PM Donald and I post at the same time in a desperate bid to convince you that we really are two separate people. spookyu - ask your questions HERE if you find interactive learning useful and don't mind the somewhat random response times! You don't have to understand all the stuff we rabbit on about. Ask some simple questions and you'll get some (hopefully) fairly simple answers. We wouldn't be here if we didn't like nattering on and on about this stuff! Its alright, I'm gonna give the web site that rot13 pointed out a try. If I'm a little lost I'll ask. Random answer times spice up life. As far as rabbiting on about stuff, I can do the same thing at times.



Donald	Oct 6 2005, 02:00 AM Post #10
Elite member Posts: 454 Group: Trusted Member Member #8 Joined: September 2, 2005	"insecure" Come on Donald, hurry up. Face it, when you are a split personality, sometimes one side takes a nap. But soon both personalities will be posting at the same time again. "spookyu" I could barely understand half of it Then only listen to the other half! Seriously, we've been talking a lot about Vigenere and even (gasp arg!) working on a block cipher recently. Well, rot13 and the Insecure half of my personality have been working on the block cipher. I haven't had time to sit down and actually try and DIG that hard yet. Anyway, those are somewhat advanced topics to start with. Heck, the block cipher has me scared out of my wits. But we HAVE spent some time going over the basics. Specifically, have you taken a look at <this thread>? It's several walkthroughs of how to break a simple mono substitution cipher. So don't worry, we LIKE talking about the simple stuff too. Heck, I still need a lot of WORK on the simple stuff. The Lanaki crypto course should be a VERY good starting point, but your going to have questions sometimes, please feel free to ask them here and not be afraid that you are boring us. For practice, try the simple mono challenges posted here and when you have problems or questions, POST THEM. Remember, if you are having difficulty with something, probably someone else is (or will) as well, and so asking the question helps not only you, but everyone else who reads it afterwards. Also, it often helps the person who answers the question. I understood how to break a Vigenere MUCH better after I had gone to the work of organizing a post on the topic. Donald



RandomHash	Oct 6 2005, 06:27 AM Post #11
Just registered Posts: 4 Group: New Members Member #18 Joined: October 6, 2005	Donald Oct 6 2005, 02:00 AM Seriously, we've been talking a lot about Vigenere and even (gasp arg!) working on a block cipher recently. Well, rot13 and the Insecure half of my personality have been working on the block cipher. I haven't had time to sit down and actually try and DIG that hard yet. Anyway, those are somewhat advanced topics to start with. Heck, the block cipher has me scared out of my wits. Which block cipher are you working on and what's so scary about it? The biggest problem with working on block ciphers is that most breaks are purely theoretical so you never actually implement it and get the satisfaction of seeing plaintext emerge from the garbage you started with.



insecure	Oct 6 2005, 08:39 AM Post #12
Elite member Posts: 381 Group: Trusted Member Member #10 Joined: September 9, 2005	Oh, I think you're going to get plaintext this time. I implemented a block cipher which you'll find under the thread "cbc mode challenge" or something like that. It's the first block cipher I've ever written, so the bits are beginning to get teased out even as we speak. But they seem to have got stuck (although I haven't checked the thread this morning yet). Perhaps they could use some help from you.



Donald	Oct 6 2005, 12:23 PM Post #13
Elite member Posts: 454 Group: Trusted Member Member #8 Joined: September 2, 2005	Insecure I think you're going to get plaintext this time. You can find the thread <here>. Rot13 has made INCREDIBLE progress. My math skills stink, and I haven't had an evening to dedicate to something so complex yet. (this will take a LOT more concentration than a quick off the cuff message posted during a break at work!) Hopefully more time tonight. But I'm CERTAIN they would appreciate some help, so please feel free to join in! Donald



RandomHash	Oct 6 2005, 06:16 PM Post #14
Just registered Posts: 4 Group: New Members Member #18 Joined: October 6, 2005	Donald Oct 6 2005, 12:23 PM But I'm CERTAIN they would appreciate some help, so please feel free to join in! Looks interesting. I'll have a proper look at it over the weekend and see if I can add anything.



Revelation	Oct 6 2005, 06:42 PM Post #15
Administrator Posts: 386 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: August 23, 2005	I am interested too! I will check this out thorougly in the weekend.
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