From 109c66fe42585e4061076bce2ba10bf1455439a5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mattrixwv Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2019 17:22:31 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Added a README --- README.md | 32 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README.md diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b955446 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +#Ciphers +A program that encrypts and decrypts some simple ciphers, most of which can, and were done by hand in the past. +Because of how simple these ciphers are they will likely not be of any use if you actually want to keep your data safe. +Modern computers work so fast that these encryption schemes can be broken in seconds if not milliseconds. + +#Caesar Cipher +This cipher is very easy to learn and simple to encode or decode. +It just shifts the letters a certain number of spaces, i.e. for a shift of 3 a=d & x=a + +#Vigenere Cipher +This cipher is more complicated than a simple Caesar cipher. +It uses an array of Caesar ciphers and cycles between them based on a key. +This makes it more secure, but if you are not carful in your message or have a short key it will still output recognizable paterns that can be easily broken. + +#Autokey Cipher +The Autokey cipher is very similar to the Vigenere cipher, but with a more secure key. +Instead of having a repeated key, the key is used one time and the message itself is used as the rest of the key, out to the length of the message. +This makes it more secure, but also slower to decrypt. + +#Atbash Cipher +The Atbash cipher is a simple cipher that basically reverses the alphabet. +A=Z, B=Y, etc. + +#Playfair Cipher +This cipher is a little more complex. +It uses a key to create a grid of letters that is then used to encode 2 letters at a time. It is a simple form of 16-bit encryption. +It is still fairly simple to learn to do by hand, just time consuming if it is a long message or if you are trying to crack the key. + +#Morse Code +This is technically not encryption, but it is not exactly English either. +It was used originally on the telegraph and was considered an efficient way to send messages at that time. +The dots and dashes are representative of long and short pulses of electricity. \ No newline at end of file