5 ms·

Secret diplomatic message deciphered after 350 years

186 points by robin_reala 1y ago

butlike 1y ago
It's fascinating to me that the keywords were further encoded such that even if the message was deciphered, the strategic plans could not be acted upon.
- avidiax 1y ago
  It was quite common to have a codebook that might list several numbers or words used to substitute for places, individuals, actions, etc. These also existed for corporate entities. A concern might have their own codebook such that the telegraph office would not be privy to their internal business. They would also use codebooks as a type of compression, since the telegraph company charged less for sending English words as opposed to enciphered characters, and obviously, there are many uncommon words that could substitute for longer common phrases. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codebook https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codebook https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_code_(communications) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_code_(communication...
- Hilift 1y ago
  Spying was a profession 400 years ago due to the intense rivalry of France and England. Vast sums and amounts of time were spent on various schemes. Probably for revenge for losing western Europe in the 100 years war. Religion seems to have been mostly a cover for plunder and stealing treasure. France remained mostly Catholic, however the religious turnover in England created interesting dynamics. The proprietor of Maryland landed the title Baron Baltimore through friendship with the spymaster to Queen Elizabeth, "whom Calvert had met during an extended trip to the European mainland between 1601 and 1603". "He also held the title of Earl of Salisbury in 1605 and Lord High Treasurer in 1608, making him the most powerful man at the royal court." The Calvert family lost the Maryland estate after the armed insurrection of 1689, however the Crown returned the estate to the Calvert family in 1715 "after Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, declared in public that he was a Protestant." The final "23rd Governor of Restored Proprietary Government" Sir Robert Eden, 1st Baronet, was the great great grandfather of Prime Minister Anthony Eden. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Calvert,_1st_Baron_Baltimore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Calvert,_1st_Baron_Balt... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Maryland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Maryland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Treaty_of_Dover https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Treaty_of_Dover
Molitor5901 1y ago
I sat through a briefing last week about quantum encryption and the threat that quantum computing poses to encryption in use today. It was stressed that nation states are hoovering up encrypted data now in order to decrypt later with quantum computing. Much the same way America decrypted old soviet encrypted data. I wonder if it will take as long and if anyone will still be alive to make use of that data.
- fpoling 1y ago
  If quantum computing would progress just like in the last 30 years it may take 300 years before it can be useful. https://eprint.iacr.org/2025/1237.pdf https://eprint.iacr.org/2025/1237.pdf
  - lbourdages 1y ago
    Thanks for sharing this, great read.
  - wat10000 1y ago
    If you know a better way to factor 35, I’d like to hear it.
  - 3eb7988a1663 1y ago
    As has been previously pointed out, the 2001 and 2012 quantum factorisation records may be easily matched with a dog trained to bark three times [33]. We verified this by taking a recently-calibrated reference dog, Scribble, depicted in Figure 6, and having him bark three times, thus simultaneously factorising both 15 and 21. This process wasn’t as simple as it first appeared because Scribble is very well behaved and almost never barks. Having him perform the quantum factorisation required having his owner play with him with a ball in order to encourage him to bark. It was a special performance just for this publication, because he understands the importance of evidence-based science. I look forward to more dog-based science.
    - geoffpado 1y ago
      > we also estimate that factorising at least two-digit numbers should be within most dogs’ capabilities, assuming the neighbours don’t start complaining first
AtlasBarfed 1y ago
.... Satoshi?
- righthand 1y ago
  Not a cryptologist, not cryptology.
- CalChris 1y ago
  Different Satoshi.
brcmthrowaway 1y ago
So many machninations amongst the elites even hundreds of years ago. And imagine today, with the current set of goons in power. It's amazing they've survived for so long.
mdani 1y ago
The article mentions a code breaking software - any idea what that is? I have a coded letter that is about 250 years old, but it is written in Devanagari script so letter frequency isn't straightforward. Please do suggest any tools that can help in decoding.
- jeremysalwen 1y ago
  Do you have a link to your codes letter available online?
  - mdani 1y ago
    I don't, but I can upload a sample tomorrow in case you're interested in taking a look.
md224 1y ago
> The solution was reached by using codebreaking software the team had developed along with extensive manual work, in part required because Perwich had mistakenly omitted a couple of letters in his ciphertext. That explains how the team of 3 codebreakers got it, but what about the other codebreaker, Matthew Brown, who figured it out by himself? The article doesn't say anything about his approach. Seems impressive if he can match the effort of three cryptographers using their own custom software. I want to read more about him!
bandrami 1y ago
I love that they had an SCI system on top of their cipher.
sandworm101 1y ago
It amazing to read cyphertext of events so commonly portrayed in historical dramas. One always assumes huge creative license and a degree of historical bias or other error, then one gets a text message from the past confirming everything on screen is in fact accurate.

186 points by robin_reala 1y ago

It's fascinating to me that the keywords were further encoded such that even if the message was deciphered, the strategic plans could not be acted upon.

avidiax 1y ago
It was quite common to have a codebook that might list several numbers or words used to substitute for places, individuals, actions, etc. These also existed for corporate entities. A concern might have their own codebook such that the telegraph office would not be privy to their internal business. They would also use codebooks as a type of compression, since the telegraph company charged less for sending English words as opposed to enciphered characters, and obviously, there are many uncommon words that could substitute for longer common phrases. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codebook https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codebook https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_code_(communications) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_code_(communication...
Hilift 1y ago
Spying was a profession 400 years ago due to the intense rivalry of France and England. Vast sums and amounts of time were spent on various schemes. Probably for revenge for losing western Europe in the 100 years war. Religion seems to have been mostly a cover for plunder and stealing treasure. France remained mostly Catholic, however the religious turnover in England created interesting dynamics. The proprietor of Maryland landed the title Baron Baltimore through friendship with the spymaster to Queen Elizabeth, "whom Calvert had met during an extended trip to the European mainland between 1601 and 1603". "He also held the title of Earl of Salisbury in 1605 and Lord High Treasurer in 1608, making him the most powerful man at the royal court." The Calvert family lost the Maryland estate after the armed insurrection of 1689, however the Crown returned the estate to the Calvert family in 1715 "after Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, declared in public that he was a Protestant." The final "23rd Governor of Restored Proprietary Government" Sir Robert Eden, 1st Baronet, was the great great grandfather of Prime Minister Anthony Eden. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Calvert,_1st_Baron_Baltimore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Calvert,_1st_Baron_Balt... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Maryland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Province_of_Maryland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Treaty_of_Dover https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Treaty_of_Dover

Molitor5901 1y ago

I sat through a briefing last week about quantum encryption and the threat that quantum computing poses to encryption in use today. It was stressed that nation states are hoovering up encrypted data now in order to decrypt later with quantum computing. Much the same way America decrypted old soviet encrypted data. I wonder if it will take as long and if anyone will still be alive to make use of that data.

fpoling 1y ago
If quantum computing would progress just like in the last 30 years it may take 300 years before it can be useful. https://eprint.iacr.org/2025/1237.pdf https://eprint.iacr.org/2025/1237.pdf
- lbourdages 1y ago
  Thanks for sharing this, great read.
- wat10000 1y ago
  If you know a better way to factor 35, I’d like to hear it.
- 3eb7988a1663 1y ago
  As has been previously pointed out, the 2001 and 2012 quantum factorisation records may be easily matched with a dog trained to bark three times [33]. We verified this by taking a recently-calibrated reference dog, Scribble, depicted in Figure 6, and having him bark three times, thus simultaneously factorising both 15 and 21. This process wasn’t as simple as it first appeared because Scribble is very well behaved and almost never barks. Having him perform the quantum factorisation required having his owner play with him with a ball in order to encourage him to bark. It was a special performance just for this publication, because he understands the importance of evidence-based science. I look forward to more dog-based science.
  - geoffpado 1y ago
    > we also estimate that factorising at least two-digit numbers should be within most dogs’ capabilities, assuming the neighbours don’t start complaining first

AtlasBarfed 1y ago

.... Satoshi?

righthand 1y ago
Not a cryptologist, not cryptology.
CalChris 1y ago
Different Satoshi.

brcmthrowaway 1y ago

So many machninations amongst the elites even hundreds of years ago. And imagine today, with the current set of goons in power. It's amazing they've survived for so long.

mdani 1y ago

The article mentions a code breaking software - any idea what that is? I have a coded letter that is about 250 years old, but it is written in Devanagari script so letter frequency isn't straightforward. Please do suggest any tools that can help in decoding.

jeremysalwen 1y ago
Do you have a link to your codes letter available online?
- mdani 1y ago
  I don't, but I can upload a sample tomorrow in case you're interested in taking a look.

md224 1y ago

> The solution was reached by using codebreaking software the team had developed along with extensive manual work, in part required because Perwich had mistakenly omitted a couple of letters in his ciphertext. That explains how the team of 3 codebreakers got it, but what about the other codebreaker, Matthew Brown, who figured it out by himself? The article doesn't say anything about his approach. Seems impressive if he can match the effort of three cryptographers using their own custom software. I want to read more about him!

bandrami 1y ago

I love that they had an SCI system on top of their cipher.

sandworm101 1y ago

It amazing to read cyphertext of events so commonly portrayed in historical dramas. One always assumes huge creative license and a degree of historical bias or other error, then one gets a text message from the past confirming everything on screen is in fact accurate.