Aristocrat and NSA

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Aristocrat and NSA
Topic Started: Aug 3 2009, 09:47 PM (89 Views)
nullsole	Aug 3 2009, 09:47 PM Post #1
Just registered Posts: 9 Group: Members Member #3,276 Joined: July 13, 2009	While perusing the files on the NSA site, I found an interesting one called: "Aristocrat - An Intelligence Test for Computers" by H. Campaigne. So I pulled it up (a PDF file) and was hoping to see some programming 'stuff' ---- Well, the article is 4 pages, and they make Swiss Cheese look solid! It's interesting to me that this article based on the old - very old, Bogart computer, is stripped of all info and yet --- all of the "Friedman Military Cryptanalysis" 1-4 are available to download. I'm guessing it's because of the computer aspect. Anyway, just found it interesting ... nullsole



jdege	Aug 3 2009, 10:38 PM Post #2
Elite member Posts: 263 Group: Admin Member #246 Joined: December 7, 2006	Fascinating how a quick summary of possible methods of using computers to solve simple substitutions can become worthless, by the simple removal of any reference to an actual method. In 1962, much of what was elided may have been worthy of a secret classification, there was next to nothing in the public journals. But by the time they declassified this in 2008, there had been quite a number of papers written on this. So why the classification? Were all of the methods mentioned in the paper methods that have not yet been published in the non-classified world? I find that hard to believe. Or were the methods discussed in a context that would have revealed hints as to how the NSA approaches problems? Or are they simply paranoid, classifying pretty much everything out of reflex? Friedman's original Riverback publications were published openly. The NSA, when it began, made an effort to have them retroactively classified. Me, I think they're afraid of letting anything out, no matter how trivial, for fear that they may someday be accused of having let out too much.
	When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.


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