classical crypto programmatic aids

Hi folks,

Does anyone here know of any computer-based aids for
breaking
classical cryptosystems?  I'm thinking in particular of the
ones in
"Body of Secrets", which are so short that I
really hope they're
monoalphabetic substitutions.  But I'm interested in these
sorts of
programs more generally.  I could use paper, but it'd be
nice if a
computer could keep track of what I've tried and otherwise
ruled out.
I am aware of the "crypt breaker's workbench",
but that's specific to
classic Unix crypt(3).  What else is there?

Incidentally, if anyone's interested, on my web page I have
an article
on how I used classical techniques to recover files
encrypted with CFS
and corrupted by disk failure or human error.  It's sort of
a rambling
stream-of-consciousness that I wrote while learning CFS and
breaking
the encryption.  It's not often that one gets to use
classical methods
against a modern cryptosystem, so I figure it may be
refreshing.  To
summarize, CFS XORs each file against an eight-byte IV that
is stored
as a dangling symlink, and on my system the symlinks had
become
desynchronized from the files.

PDF: http://www.usenix.org/publications/login/2004-08
/pdfs/howard.pdf
TXT: http://www.lightconsulting.com/~travis/cfs_travails.txt
-- 
"I sometimes have delusions of adequacy" --
Woody Allen
Security "guru" for rent or hire - http://www.li
ghtconsulting.com/~travis/ -><-
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0C55 1484

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Travis,

Take a look at http://www.cryptool.com/

Regards,
Max

On 6/27/06, Travis H. <solinymgmail.com> wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Does anyone here know of any computer-based aids for
breaking
> classical cryptosystems?  I'm thinking in particular
of the ones in
> "Body of Secrets", which are so short that
I really hope they're
> monoalphabetic substitutions.  But I'm interested in
these sorts of
> programs more generally.  I could use paper, but it'd
be nice if a
> computer could keep track of what I've tried and
otherwise ruled out.
> I am aware of the "crypt breaker's
workbench", but that's specific to
> classic Unix crypt(3).  What else is there?
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Travis,

> Does anyone here know of any computer-based aids for
breaking
> classical cryptosystems?  I'm thinking in particular
of the ones in
> "Body of Secrets", which are so short that
I really hope they're
> monoalphabetic substitutions.  But I'm interested in
these sorts of
> programs more generally.  I could use paper, but it'd
be nice if a
> computer could keep track of what I've tried and
otherwise ruled out.
> I am aware of the "crypt breaker's
workbench", but that's specific to
> classic Unix crypt(3).  What else is there?

In the 1990s Remo Pini ("Pini Computer Trading,
Switzerland") was distributing
a crypto CD with such things on it.  At the time his address
was rprpini.com
and google suggests some more recent addresses.
 
> Incidentally, if anyone's interested, on my web page I
have an article
> on how I used classical techniques to recover files
encrypted with CFS

I thought that was interesting and it's living in my
magazine pile.


GCHQ issue a puzzle occasionally (looks like twice a year)
    http:/
/www.gchq.gov.uk/codebreaking/index.html
and I tackled the December 2004 one
    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/codebreaking/challengedec04.html
like this
    http://www.notatla.org.uk/CRYPTO/gchq_puzzle/index.html
using a program of Paul Leyland's off the Pini CD.



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