Introduction: Best Codes 2
Since my other Best Codes instructable was so popular I've decided to make another one with more and harder codes than before!
If you want to visit my website with all of these codes and more here is the link
bestcodes.weebly.com
And if you want to practice code cracking you can click on this link to my other website...
Step 1: Beale Cipher
The Beale Cipher, similar to the Book Cipher, uses a book or any large length of text to encode and decode messages. To write a message using the Beale Cipher you have to find a word that has the same first letter as the letter you want to encode. For example the word if the 20th word in your book was "Fancy" and you wanted to write "After Midnight" you would replace the "F" with "20." A small example with the text on this page would be "7 13 34 6 8 77 15 43 4." If you counted out all the words including the numbers you would get "Best Codes" as your message. To decode messages just do the opposite of this.
Step 2: Bifid Cipher
The Bifid Cipher is closely related to the Polybius Cipher. To use this cipher you first need to find the coordinates of each letter in your message using the Y axis first and then the X axis (Column then Row). For example on this Grid "Best Codes" would become "(1,2)(1,5)(4,3)(4,4) (1,3)(3,4)(4,5)(4,3)" Now you need to stack the coordinates on top of each other like this...
1 1 4 4 1 3 4 4
2 5 3 4 3 4 5 3
Now you put them horizontally and separate them into pairs like this. "11 44 13 44 25 34 34 53" Each one of these pairs is a new set of coordinates on your grid using (Y,X). Now our message is this "atctkoox"
To decode a message first you need to find the coordinates of each letter. So "atctkoox" becomes
"11 44 13 44 25 34 34 53." Now put the second half the message underneath the first half like this...
1 1 4 4 1 3 4 4
2 5 3 4 3 4 5 3
Now each column of numbers is a coordinate. Once you have finished finding all of the coordinates you are done.
Step 3: The Book Cipher
The book cipher can take a long time to crack, but it is really simple.
To encode your message, take a book, or a long piece of writing, that you know the receiver of the message has, and find the words you need for your message. A small example of a message in this text would be "31 45 18 13 15 16 10". If you did it right, you would have ended up with "Your message is really simple to crack."
Step 4: Cistercian Numerals
The Cistercian Numerals was created in the
middle ages as a number system. It seems confusing at first but if you try it's actually pretty easy. For example if we take 7085 we would just combine all of the symbols together, which would be 7000, 80, and 5. Try creating the symbol for 6287.
Step 5: Giovanni Fontana Cipher
The Giovanni Fontana Cipher was created in the 15th century by Giovanni Fontana.
Step 6: Map Cipher
The Map Cipher uses symbols to determine letters on a grid. For example A
would be a vertical line with a branch coming down off the top from each side. This is because A is in the first row and the first column. C would be a vertical line with one branch coming down on the left and three on the right. This is because it is in the first row and third column. Left branches equal rows and right branches equal columns.
Step 7: Null Cipher
The Null Cipher was used in World War II. Null means nothing.
1. Write your message like this...
C
O
D
E
2. Make words that start with each letter and make sure they can all be put together and used in a sentence like this...
Can
One
Decipher
Elegantly
3.Write it out like this, so the message isn't obvious... Can one decipher elegantly?
You can make it harder by using the second letter or third letter of each sentence for the message.
Step 8: One-Time Pad
The One-Time Pad is the only encryption algorithm that is
impossible to crack! To use this cipher you must have a random selection of letters that can repeat themselves. In this this will be my one-time pad "vonwiegoiqpwidd." To encode a message you have to follow these steps... Add the first letter of your message to the first letter of the pad. For example if "Z" is the first letter in your message and "V" is the first letter on your pad add "26" and "22" because "Z" is the 1st letter in the alphabet and "V" is the 22nd. You should end up with 48. Now subtract 1 from 48. Now you have 47. Since there is not 47 letters in the alphabet you subtract 26 from 47. Subtract 26 from any number that comes out over 26. Now you have 21. The 21st letter in the alphabet is "U" so that is the fist encrypted letter in your message. Using this selection of letters "best codes" will become "WSFPKSIJA"
To decode the message you need the same random selection of letters that the message was written with. All you need to do now is the exact thing you do to encode is but you subtract in all of the areas where you add and you add in all of the areas that you would normally subtract. For example if the first letter of the pad was "V" and the first letter of the message was "U" you would subtract 22 from 21 so you would end up with -1. Now add one so you have 0. Since there is no 0 in the alphabet you add 26. Add 26 to any number less than 1. The 26th letter in the alphabet is "Z" so the first letter of the decoded message is "Z" The message "WSFPKSIJA" would become "best codes"
Its important to remember to make an entirely new pad every time you write a message or else that ruins the purpose of the unbreakable cipher.
Step 9:
As Ciphers got more advanced people came up with ways to make decoding a message harder. The Polyalphabetic Cipher uses the Rot Cipher and a Key Word and A1Z26.
1. Pick out a keyword. The longer it is, the more secure you code will be. I will be using "code" as my key word for this example. 2. Use A1Z26 to encode your key word. "Code" would become "3-15-4-5" 3. Write your message with the key underneath, like this...
b e s t c o d e s i s a w e s o m e 3-15-4-5-3-15-4-5-3 15-4 5-3-15-4-5-3-15 4.
Shift each letter in the plain text by the number below it like this...
b e s t c o d e s i s a w e s o m e 3-15-4-5-3-15-4-5-3 15-4 5-3-15-4-5-3-15 4.
e t w y f d h j v x w f z t w t p t
bestcodes is awesome = etwyfdhjv xw fztwtpt 5. To decode just use the key word and do the opposite of how you encode.
Step 10: Polybius Cipher
The Polybius Cipher is a
5x5 grid filled with 25 letters (26 if you want to fit 2 letters in one square) in any order created by a Greek author named Polybius. You can use this cipher by using taps for coordinates or you could write out a message which would be harder to crack. To encrypt your message look at the coordinates of the letter you are trying to encrypt. On this particular grid if you wanted to write "Code" you would find the coordinates for "C" which is (3,1) 3 being on the X axis and 1 on the Y axis. "C" will now become "AC" because the Y axis is "1" which is equal to "A" and the X axis is "3" which is equal to "C". Repeat this process with all of the letters until you are finished. When you are finished you should have twice as many letters in your encrypted message than in your original message. The word "Code" would become "ACCEADAE."
To decode a message you need a copy of the grid the sender used. Separate every two letters from each other like this "AC CE AD AE." Now you need to put translate the letters into numbers. Now you would have this "1,3 3,5 1,4 1,5." These numbers are coordinates on this grid, remember that with these coordinates it's Y,X instead of the usual X,Y. Once you have found all of the coordinates you have decoded your message!
Step 11: Polygraphia
Polygraphia is a cipher created by Johannes Trithemius when he was becoming a wizard.
Step 12: Rail Fence Cipher
Also known as the Zigzag Cipher, the Rail Fence Cipher got its name because it looks like a fence is guiding the letters to where they need to go.
Step 13: Spiral Cipher
The Spiral Cipher is a surprisingly simple code using a continual spiral
to encode your message. It starts off as A=1 B=2 and so on, like the A1Z26 except for a few numbers representing punctuation. After the second time you use an a in your message it would be 30 because it is the second number above A on the Spiral, so B would be 31 the second time. This picture ends at 58 but the spiral is really never ending. The third time you use A it would be 59 and the fourth would be 88 and so on.
Step 14: Templar Cipher
Related to the Rosicrucian Cipher and the Pigpen Cipher, the Templar Cipher uses a grid a symbols to write a message.
Step 15: The Code of Western University Library
The Code of Western University Library is a code that a college student
named Mike Moffatt opened a textbook and a letter in an envelope fell out. To learn more read the article here.
Step 16: Trifid Cipher
The Trifid Cipher is similar to the Bifid Cipher except
there are three grids instead of just one. To encode a message using this cipher you need to write out each letter out first by its layer then the row then column so you will end up with three numbers for each letter. Write the groups of three numbers on on top of each other. For example "Best Codes" would become...
1 1 3 3 1 2 1 1 3
2 2 1 2 3 3 1 2 1
1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1
Now write the letters horizontally in groups of three like this... "113 312 113 221 233 212 121 112 221" The final step is to find the letters using the new groups of three letters by finding the layer, row, and column. "113 312 113 221 233 212 121 112 221" would become "gvgjrmbdk"
To decode a message find the layer, row, and column. So "gvgjrmbdk" becomes "113 312 113 221 233 212 121 112 221" Now put these numbers into three equal rows like this...
1 1 3 3 1 2 1 1 3
2 2 1 2 3 3 1 2 1
1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1
There columns of numbers are the coordinates and grids. The top number is the layer, middle number is the row, and the bottom number is the column.
