Frequency Analysis

of Monoalphabetic Ciphers

INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview

INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview
• Practical hurdles
INSERT • Lesson 2 – Multi-character frequencies.
• Digraphs
VIDEO • Repeated digraphs
• Lesson 3 – Example
HERE • Short ciphertext
• Longer ciphertext
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview
• Practical hurdles
INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview
• Practical hurdles
INSERT • Lesson 2 – Multi-character frequencies.

VIDEO
HERE
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview
• Practical hurdles
INSERT • Lesson 2 – Multi-character frequencies.
• Digraphs
VIDEO • Repeated digraphs
• Lesson 3 – Example
HERE • Short ciphertext
• Longer ciphertext
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview
• Practical hurdles
INSERT • Lesson 2 – Multi-character frequencies.
• Digraphs
VIDEO
HERE
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview
• Practical hurdles
INSERT • Lesson 2 – Multi-character frequencies.
• Digraphs
VIDEO • Repeated digraphs

HERE
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview
• Practical hurdles
INSERT • Lesson 2 – Multi-character frequencies.
• Digraphs
VIDEO • Repeated digraphs
• Lesson 3 – Example
HERE
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview
• Practical hurdles
INSERT • Lesson 2 – Multi-character frequencies.
• Digraphs
VIDEO • Repeated digraphs
• Lesson 3 – Example
HERE • Short ciphertext
 Frequency Analysis
of Monoalphabetic Ciphers
• Lesson 1 – Single-character frequencies.
• Overview
• Practical hurdles
INSERT • Lesson 2 – Multi-character frequencies.
• Digraphs
VIDEO • Repeated digraphs
• Lesson 3 – Example
HERE • Short ciphertext
• Longer ciphertext
 It’s all about randomness

INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
 It’s all about randomness
• Eve intercepts truly random plaintext

INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
 It’s all about randomness
• Eve intercepts truly random plaintext
• Can’t be cryptanalyzed (successfully)

INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
 It’s all about randomness
• Eve intercepts truly random plaintext
• Can’t be cryptanalyzed (successfully)
• Effect is same as one-time pad
INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
 It’s all about randomness
• Eve intercepts truly random plaintext
• Can’t be cryptanalyzed (successfully)
• Effect is same as one-time pad
INSERT • Non-randomness in plaintext conveys meaning

VIDEO
HERE
 It’s all about randomness
• Eve intercepts truly random plaintext
• Can’t be cryptanalyzed (successfully)
• Effect is same as one-time pad
INSERT • Non-randomness in plaintext conveys meaning
• Non-randomness in ciphertext gives hints
VIDEO
HERE
 It’s all about randomness
• Eve intercepts truly random plaintext
• Can’t be cryptanalyzed (successfully)
• Effect is same as one-time pad
INSERT • Non-randomness in plaintext conveys meaning
• Non-randomness in ciphertext gives hints
VIDEO • Monoalphabetic cipher keeps all nonrandomness

HERE
 It’s all about randomness
• Eve intercepts truly random plaintext
• Can’t be cryptanalyzed (successfully)
• Effect is same as one-time pad
INSERT • Non-randomness in plaintext conveys meaning
• Non-randomness in ciphertext gives hints
VIDEO • Monoalphabetic cipher keeps all nonrandomness
• Breakable by matching ciphertext structure to
HERE estimated plaintext structure.
 etaoin shrdlu
E 12.702 D 4.253 P 1.929
T 9.056 L 4.025 B 1.492
A 8.167 C 2.782 V 0.978
INSERT O 7.507
I 6.966
U
M
2.758
2.406
K
J
0.772
0.153
VIDEO N 6.749
S 6.327
W
F
2.360
2.228
X
Q
0.150
0.095
HERE H 6.094
R 5.987
G
Y
2.015
1.974
Z 0.074
 Plaintext or ciphertext?

INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
 Plaintext or ciphertext?
500000: ILSTU BBSTO UTLYS TOODU PTOHI
500025: SSPER MACET ISUPP ERATT HECAP
500050: STANH EADAS IFTHA TCAPS TANWE
INSERT 500075:
500100:
REASI
EONLY
DEBOA
BANQU
RDNOR
ETERO
WASST
NWHAL
UBBTH
ESFLE
500125: SHTHA TNIGH TMING LINGT HEIRM
VIDEO 500150: UMBLI NGSWI THHIS OWNMA STICA
500175: TIONS THOUS ANDSO NTHOU SANDS
HERE 500200:
500225:
OFSHA
EADLE
RKSSW
VIATH
ARMIN
ANSMA
GROUN
CKING
DTHED
LYFEA
Emphasizing alternate words reveals
plaintext content

INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
Emphasizing alternate words reveals
plaintext content
500000: ILSTU BBSTO UTLYS TOODU PTOHI
500025: SSPER MACET ISUPP ERATT HECAP
500050: STANH EADAS IFTHA TCAPS TANWE
INSERT 500075:
500100:
REASI
EONLY
DEBOA
BANQU
RDNOR
ETERO
WASST
NWHAL
UBBTH
ESFLE
500125: SHTHA TNIGH TMING LINGT HEIRM
VIDEO 500150: UMBLI NGSWI THHIS OWNMA STICA
500175: TIONS THOUS ANDSO NTHOU SANDS
HERE 500200:
500225:
OFSHA
EADLE
RKSSW
VIATH
ARMIN
ANSMA
GROUN
CKING
DTHED
LYFEA
 In review – Patterns are key
• Match non-randomness in ciphertext to expected
non-randomness in plaintext

INSERT
VIDEO
HERE
 In review – Patterns are key
• Match non-randomness in ciphertext to expected
non-randomness in plaintext

INSERT • Statistical variability and intentional efforts to

distort patterns frustrate the cryptanalyst
VIDEO
HERE
 In review – Patterns are key
• Match non-randomness in ciphertext to expected
non-randomness in plaintext

INSERT • Statistical variability and intentional efforts to

distort patterns frustrate the cryptanalyst
VIDEO
• Recognizing patterns is an art as well as a skill
HERE
 In review – Patterns are key
• Match non-randomness in ciphertext to expected
non-randomness in plaintext

INSERT • Statistical variability and intentional efforts to

distort patterns frustrate the cryptanalyst
VIDEO
• Recognizing patterns is an art as well as a skill
HERE
• Next – Multi-character frequency patterns.