Again, reassuring me that our gov't really can't crack and read everything that we have.
-- Joel Esler http://blog.joelesler.net Twitter: http://twitter.com/joelesler On Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 8:43 AM, Danny McPherson wrote: > > <http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/march/cryptanalysis_032911> > > On June 30, 1999, sheriff’s officers in St. Louis, Missouri discovered the > body of 41-year-old Ricky McCormick. He had been murdered and dumped in a > field. The only clues regarding the homicide were two encrypted notes found > in the victim’s pants pockets. > > Despite extensive work by our Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit > (CRRU), as well as help from the American Cryptogram Association, the > meanings of those two coded notes remain a mystery to this day, and Ricky > McCormick’s murderer has yet to face justice. > > “We are really good at what we do,” said CRRU chief Dan Olson, “but we could > use some help with this one.” > > In fact, Ricky McCormick’s encrypted notes are one of CRRU’s top unsolved > cases. “Breaking the code,” said Olson, “could reveal the victim’s > whereabouts before his death and could lead to the solution of a homicide. > Not every cipher we get arrives at our door under those circumstances.” > > The more than 30 lines of coded material use a maddening variety of letters, > numbers, dashes, and parentheses. McCormick was a high school dropout, but he > was able to read and write and was said to be “street smart.” According to > members of his family, McCormick had used such encrypted notes since he was a > boy, but apparently no one in his family knows how to decipher the codes, and > it’s unknown whether anyone besides McCormick could translate his secret > language. Investigators believe the notes in McCormick’s pockets were written > up to three days before his death. > > Breaking any code involves > four basic steps: > > 1. determining the language used; > 2. determining the system used; > 3. reconstructing the key; and > 4. reconstructing the plaintext. > > Consider this cipher: Nffu nf bu uif qbsl bu oppo. > > Now apply the four steps: > > 1. Determining the language allows you to compare the cipher text to the > suspected language. Our cryptanalysts usually start with English. > > 2. Determining the system: Is this cipher using rearranged words, replaced > words, or perhaps letter substitution? In this case, it’s letter substitution. > > 3. Reconstructing the key: This step answers the question of how the code > maker changed the letters. In our example, every character shifted one letter > to the right in the alphabet. > > 4. Reconstructing the plaintext: By applying the key from the previous step, > you now have a solution: Meet me at the park at noon. > > Over the years, a number of CRRU’s examiners—who are experts at breaking > codes—have puzzled over the McCormick notes and applied a variety of > analytical techniques to tease out an answer. “Standard routes of > cryptanalysis seem to have hit brick walls,” Olson noted. Our cryptanalysts > have several plausible theories about the notes, but so far, there has been > no solution. > > To move the case forward, examiners need another sample of McCormick’s coded > system—or a similar one—that might offer context to the mystery notes or > allow valuable comparisons to be made. Or, short of new evidence, Olson said, > “Maybe someone with a fresh set of eyes might come up with a brilliant new > idea.” > > That’s where the public comes in. The FBI has always relied on tips and other > assistance from the public to solve crimes, and although breaking a code may > represent a special circumstance, your help could aid the investigation. Take > a look at McCormick’s two notes. If you have an idea how to break the code, > have seen similar codes, or have any information about the Ricky McCormick > case, send them to us online athttp://forms.fbi.gov/code write to CRRU at the > following address: > > FBI Laboratory > Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit > 2501 Investigation Parkway > Quantico, VA 22135 > Attn: Ricky McCormick Case > > There is no reward being offered, just a challenge—and the satisfaction of > knowing that your brain power might help bring a killer to justice. > > “Even if we found out that he was writing a grocery list or a love letter,” > Olson said, “we would still want to see how the code is solved. This is a > cipher system we know nothing about.” > _______________________________________________ > Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. > https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec > Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list. >
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