AY Honors/Cryptography

Cryptography
Regional
Skill Level 123
Approval authority Southeast Asia Union	Year of Introduction 2009
See also Cryptography - Advanced

• Overview
• Requirements
• Answer Key
• Lesson Plans

AY Honors/Cryptography/Overview

The most challenging requirement of this honor is probably this:

4. What is a scytale? Make a scytale to send a secret message.

1. What does the word Cryptography mean? What is the difference between Steganography and Cryptography?

2. Know the meaning of the following terms:

a. Encryption

b. Decryption

c. Plain text

d. Cipher text

e. Cryptanalysis

3. What is the original meaning of the word “cipher?”

4. What is a scytale? Make a scytale to send a secret message.

5. What is the “Enigma” machine and how were the Enigma-coded messages finally decoded?

6. What is meant by the term “code talkers” and when was code talking first used?

7. Why was the Navajo language particularly useful as a code during World War II?

8. What is the Rosetta Stone and why is the discovery of this stone so important?

9. Name some of the symbols that appear almost like codes used in Bible prophecies and be able to explain their meanings.

10. Know what a transposition cipher is and how to encode and decode a message using it.

11. Know what a substitution cipher is and how to encode and decode a message using it.

Edit Answer Key

1

What does the word Cryptography mean? What is the difference between Steganography and Cryptography?

Cryptography, or cryptology, is the art of concealing messages in order to keep them private or confidential.

When the message is encoded, only those who have been given the key or code book will know how to decode the secret message.

Steganography is the art of hiding the message with a "cover" so that what people see is the cover without realizing there is a secret message hidden within or under it.

2

Know the meaning of the following terms:

2a

Encryption

2b

Decryption

Decryption is the reverse process where the unintelligible cipher text is converted back to plain text (normal text).

2c

Plain text

2d

Cipher text

2e

Cryptanalysis

3

What is the original meaning of the word “cipher?”

The word cipher comes from the Arabic word SIFR, meaning "empty" or "zero."

4

What is a scytale? Make a scytale to send a secret message.

Scytale in Greek means a baton.

5

What is the “Enigma” machine and how were the Enigma-coded messages finally decoded?

The first Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I.

6

What is meant by the term “code talkers” and when was code talking first used?

Code talkers refer to Native American soldiers who talk using a coded language to transmit secret messages over the radio.

7

Why was the Navajo language particularly useful as a code during World War II?

The Navajo language was an unpublished language and no books in Navajo had ever been published.

8

What is the Rosetta Stone and why is the discovery of this stone so important?

The decree by Ptolemy V written on the Rosetta Stone appears in three languages.

9

Name some of the symbols that appear almost like codes used in Bible prophecies and be able to explain their meanings.

10

Know what a transposition cipher is and how to encode and decode a message using it.

A transposition cipher is a method of encryption by which the positions held by units of plain text are shifted according to a regular system to create the cipher text.

11

Know what a substitution cipher is and how to encode and decode a message using it.

A substitution cipher is a method of encryption by which the units of the plain text are replaced with other symbols which need not be the same as those used in the plain text.

References

• Cryptology Pathfinder Honour on YouTube (sponsored by the British Union)
• PowerPoint and Answer Sheet

[[Category:AY Honors/Regional|]]

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See AY Honors/Model Lesson Plan if you need ideas for creating one.