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Crypto-history
Crypto-history buffs,
Apropos the recent discussion of the Bletchley Park and NSA exhibits of
WWII rotor-type cipher machines on sci.crypt, there is an excellent
article by Glenn Zorpette (of IEEE Spectrum) in the Summer 1994 issue of
American Heritage of Invention and Technology, Volume 10/Number 1. This
is a Forbes publication that is put out by their American Heritage
Magazine group.
The title of the article is "The Edison of Secret Codes" and it is
about Edward Hugh Hebern who contributed much to the development
of rotor-type cipher machines from 1912 until after WWII. It features
quotes from David Kahn (The Codebreakers) and some terrific photos of
early cryptographic equipment, as well as a nice description of the
design/function of the machines and vulnerabilities to cryptanalysis by
the Army's William Friedman in the 1920's. There lawsuit by Hebern against
patent infringement by the government serves as an an eerie premonition of
the Inslaw case. There is a sidebar regarding the National Cryptologic
Museum.
Last but not least it features this marvelous stanza of an ode to
Hebern's crypto machine, an equally fitting a description of public key
systems (e.g. PGP).
Marvelous invention comes out of the West
Triumph of patience, long years without rest
Solved problem of ages, deeper than thought
A code of perfection, a wonder is wrought.
I got my copy directly from someone who works for American Heritage, so I
can't vouch for it's availabilty on the news stands. Share and Enjoy :-)
cjl