Menu


Home Page

Caesar Shift Cipher

Vigenère Cipher

Jefferson Cipher Wheel

Nazi Enigma Machine

Japanese Purple Cipher

Navajo Code Talkers

US Army M-209 Cipher

Hagelin CX-52 Cipher

Modern Ciphers

Contact Me

Google

Worldwide Web
CipherMachines.com

Cipher Machines

Home Page


This website is under construction
Only the underlined links in the menu are currently active



Cipher Machines Through History

This website tells the story of the ingenuity and advancement of cipher technology throughout history. Equally ingenious is the development of code-breaking technology and espionage in order to counter those advances. The winners in this intellectual arms race enjoy a huge advantage on the battlefield or in the spy vs. spy world of a cold war.

As an example, the German enigma machine was quite an advancement in technology prior to WW2, but the Nazi confidence in its invincibility caused them to ignore some obvious signs of code-breaking. Likewise, the Japanese trusted the integrity of their "Purple Cipher" despite warnings from the Germans the code had been breached by the US. So both the Germans and the Japanese believed their own ciphers were secure throughout WW2 but both were broken by the Allies, which made a significant difference in the outcome of WW2. Breaking the Nazi enigma code also spurred the development of modern computing and the first computers.

The US also used a rotor based cipher machine in WW2, named the M-209 and designed by Boris Hagelin. This cipher was broken by the Germans, but the US was aware of this possibility and only used this machine for tactical messages. Interestingly, the most secure cipher in WW2 was the low-tech "analog" cipher the Navajo Code Talkers used, which was speaking in their native language. The speed and security of this cipher was unmatched by the latest and greatest technological innovations from any country.

The most successful cipher machine after WW2 was sold by Boris Hagelin through his Swiss company, Crypto AG. In 1952, he started selling an improved rotor-based cipher machine to 120 countries which was much more secure than the previous design used by the US military and was called the CX-52. Another reason for his success was due to the perception of neutrality offered by having his company based in Switzerland. In the mid-1970s, an electronic cipher machine was introduced with a "back door" access put in by the US NSA, allowing the US unfettered access to the world's secrets for several decades.

Most of the information on this website will be presented in the form of pictures and presentations to tell the story of this ongoing arms race. Almost all the pictures are from my personal collection of cipher and communications equipment, including a Nazi enigma machine, US M-209 cipher, CX-52 Hagelin cipher machine, Navajo code talker radio and modern ciphers. I have attempted to provide very detailed, close-up photos showing the details of the internals of each of these machines.



Types of Cipher Machines

Caesar Shift Cipher

One of the earliest recorded examples of using ciphers was employed by Julius Ceasar in communicating with his generals. This cipher was also the simplest, reportedly a shift of the alphabet by 3 characters, so an "a" was enciphered to a "d", a "b" was enciphered to an "e", etc. This shift of characters remained constant throughout the message and is therefore classed as a monoalphabetic cipher. Caesar was also known to have used more complicated ciphers.

Vigenère Cipher

The Vigenère cipher was named for Blaise de Vigenère, even though it was first described by Giovan Battista Bellaso 35 years earlier in 1553. It uses a Caesar cipher with a different shift at each letter in the text, with the amount of the shift defined by a repeating keyword. This is an example of a polyalphabetic cipher and was commonly considered unbreakable even into the 20th century. Keywords shorter than the message (e.g. "Complete Victory" used by the Confederacy during the American Civil War), introduce a cyclic pattern that could be decoded using letter frequency analysis. In fact, the Union regularly decoded the Confederate messages. Pictured is a replica of the Confederate cipher disk, five of which are known to exist.

Jefferson Cipher Wheel

In 1795, Thomas Jefferson invented the "wheel cypher" as he called it, which was a stack of 26 wooden wheels mounted on an axle. Each wheel was unique and had the alphabet arranged randomly around its circumference. The order of each of the wheels on the axle gives the number of possibilities for the key, which is 26! (or 4 X 10**26). For a small number of short messages, this is considered a very strong cipher, even today. The picture shows a replica of Jefferson's invention and is almost identical to the one used by the US military until 1942.

Nazi Enigma Machine

The Nazi Enigma machine is undoubtedly the most famous cipher machine in history. This machine is similar to the Hagelin cipher but uses battery power to light up letters of the message instead of printing and also uses a plugboard. The Polish and later British and then US cryptographers successfully broke the code, shortening WW2 by several years. Despite 11,000 people in Britain and several thousand in the US working on deciphering the Enigma, the secret of the code being broken was not disclosed for almost 30 years, in 1974.

Japanese Purple Cipher

The Japanese Purple Cipher was the diplomatic cipher used by Japan before WW2 and then used by the military throughout the war. This cipher is similar to the Enigma machine and was broken by the US even before the war started. A Japanese diplomat in Germany used this cipher to report back to Japan the Nazi preparations and arms placements to counter the Allies plans for D-Day. The US knowledge that their deception of landing site had worked was a major factor in their confidence to proceed. No intact Purple cipher machines are known to survive the war, pictured is a remnant from the Japanese embassy in Berlin recovered in 1945. The Japanese were told by the Germans that Purple was broken by the US but they refused to believe this until after the war. It was in Congressional hearings about who knew about Pearl Harbor and allowed the Japanese bombings to happen that the Japanese finally discovered their Purple cipher was broken throughout the war.

Navajo Code Talkers

During WW2, the US Marine Corps deployed the American Indian tribe of Navajos to provide "analog" enciphering of military messages. They would talk in their native language and add code words for military terms and armament for which they did not have a translation, for instance they used "iron fish" to mean "submarine". Pictured is the radio used by the Navajo Code Talkers, the ultra-portable TBY radio.

US Army M-209 Cipher

Boris Hagelin developed a mechanical cipher machine that used a series of rotors combined with a "pin and lug" mechanism to allow each character of a message to be enciphered many times. The US military purchased 140,000 of these devices for use during WW2. The US was aware the Germans broke the code, so the use of this machine was limited to tactical battlefield messages. After WW2, Hagelin set up his own company to sell an improved version of this technology with moveable rotors and irregular stepping, which is described below.

Hagelin CX-52 Cipher

In 1952 Hagelin designed an improved version of his cipher machine called the CX-52, which became the most successful cipher machine in history, selling to the military, diplomats and commercial companies in 120 different countries. A later electronic cipher machine was introduced in the 1970s which had a "back door" access inserted by the US NSA, giving the US unfettered access to the world's secrets for several decades.

Modern Ciphers


Modern ciphers use the power of computing to have very secure and user-friendly cryptology. In fact, the enciphering and deciphering is accomplished without the user even aware it is occurring. In addition to the confidentiality the previous cipher machines attempted to provide, modern ciphers add two additional features. They now authenticate (the sender is who he says he is) and provide data integrity (the message has not been altered). An example of this technology is pictured showing a Cisco Systems 2621 router with a Crypto VPN hardware module. Also, you will see the world's first routers, the Cisco AGS+, CGS, IGS, etc.

openair preachers
fraxa.org
1 18th aircraft decals
marketing.us
hard sun indio
sexhotteens.com
coco ashley lehman
alliance and leicester online banking
andorra banks
klr600 perfomance improvements
acme animation galleries miscellaneous studios page
dr jacqueline taylor michigan
12 volt cigarett lighter charger
annie potter presents holiday babies
ccadinc.com
mark rigby
1982 atlanta braves articles
la mujer en la literatura hispanoamericana
1 2 x1 4 screwed swage
manestruckparts.com
deborah jeanne plummer
dean razorback guitar
agenda august
veteranprograms.com
big city slider
pershing.com
culligan bothell wa
save-a-pet-il.org
30th jan 1972 in ireland
my name is susie winder
carl wilhelm hahn
bullying assistance
alexander city alabama chamber of commerce
block plank masonry
24 foot garage doors
actress roseanne
packet sniffing and indentity theft
durable bluetooth
croatian cultural centre vancouver
dragonballz tenkaichi cheats
customized sandles
caregiver chineese language
ala chitarra box
consequences for not using qualitative research
thewickedwonders.com
a maze of a quilt
barton and guestier bistro wine
carolyn ott walker
danswesternwear.com
afro caribbean hairstyles
logitech quickcam 310 vista forum
drawing gabrielle pizzi fruit bats
secured-webpage.com
1994 volkswagen golf full exhaust
chattanooganhotel.com
coh cursor disappears
larry pearson pfizer animal health ny
boat railing supplies
1989 fzr 1000 parts manuals
how tp get forklift training
celestron ultima 100 spotting scope
diabetes and psoriasis
australia maternity leave increase paid leave
leg discoloration statis
book marginal thinking
labor categories are selected based upon
crestridgesaddlery.com
1988 mazda scan tool
gene gray great horned owl
escort-page.com
10 day weather forcast dallas tx
changodar ahmedabad india
bypass cyber patrol
cheater pmp
drugtesting-shop.com
force reboot windows xp
citizens for responsible spending stillwater
au ford fuse box arrangement
santander chocolate
2008 ford edge limited awd reviews
1996 audi a6 owners manual
nacmsouthtexas.org
lampshade stores dallas tx
cheap metal halide fixture
ana serradilla fotos
basis of curriculum
alterac valley frost wolf mount
cuny tipps
alien abduction yelm wa 2007
1980 s themed costumes
aircraft check lists
air force mentoring program
credit union harrisonburg va
sdanet.org
illinois tammy taylor
balkan states
communicating expectations
aol hotline
cameron opel
bournemouth airshow
baby oatmeal
georgia wic income guidelines
antifreeze recommendations
anyone can join christmas freeroll password
brazilian alexandrite gemstones
australia visa office shanghai
ak 12ga
all aussie beef shane watson
anchor needlework
controlling agglomeration of silver particles
98 kawasaki kx 125 parts
wirefly.org
autographed wedding quilts
american top 40 countdown listen live
federated department stores macy
flat for rent in riga
children wagons
book general speaking
flagstone houston
huge stuffed koala bear
handzon.com
acme akron ohio
bale unrollers
arai vector
brothersmith-knives.com
18 only girls alice torrent
boyce jefferson hooper brightstar arkansas
sowrides.com
a waterproofing bat finishing systems resource
construction in mitchell bay malcolm island
3 stage hydraulic cylinders
treesalesandrescue.com
aloha airlins
buchanan 2006-s
history of soo locks mi
bishop mark macdonald
nttnavi.co.jp
alma scottish festival
barretts quotations
waterside ferry norfolk virginia
chavez owns citgo
alzheimer society kingston
free sandy caine videos
delsym drugs at longs
azithromycin 250 500mg tablets
pagosa springs colorado weather report
cca 60 oklahoma
caicos lymphoma
curtis and anne hawes and dartmouth
how to put stacks on horse
eeg burst suppression
frisbee golf course locations
anglo american hotel rome
kwik fit bristol
catofashion.com
2006 kids movies
4p4c keystone rj11
weightlosswars.com
muppet christmas carol song lyrics
angela gibbens corpus christi texas
adventure land in winston salem
imo.im
accomodations bonney lake wa
creative elegance
audio sandbox troubleshoot
deidree barnum
afulllife.org
xanga resources on zdnet
blackburn delphi
candy laced with thc marijuana ingredient
criminal perception
activities to do outside with friends
aix setting passwd non expire
athenaeum schoo of the arts
handpainted personalized party favors
freesexyindia.com
bhangra composer ringtones
marisa basile
1998 vw jetta gl instrument panel
ra calcium 600 vit d tablet
ant bait stations spike green
shopit.com
clemtine tangerine for sale price
crayon border clipart
full length invader zim episodes
alfredo archetto
saugatuck library
cd dvd protectors from scratches
black and brazilian models
74138 ic chips
aerc.org
cobalt crystal flutes
everythingbirkenstock.com
billion trillion
imagemole.com
hey baby ooh aah
about jury duty
book the chronicals of narnia
gaychubbydating.com
ceramic craft stores chambersburg pa
1969 f100 white gauges
20 question to ask a girl
delaware riverfront happenings
michael seaman redondo union high school
calulator for gdp
breadman ultimate plus bread machine troubleshoot
advantages of preference shares
acoustic blanket materials in washington
deux maccabeus
bridgeport boss 3
capilla del cristo pictures hi def
compatibility for sagittarius and leo
bed and breakfast in doncaster uk
examples of spreadsheets
100 greatest indie songs
.32 rc nitro engines
bill dugan
ally and diet pills
anonymous twins at 34 weeks
aldi traveler camera
vafood.org
ecc online
beth senior dubois pa
transgenderpicturegallery.com
anne klein cocktail dress
dr shirley bowles
child bearing hips
facts about testicular cancer
adam reyes waco texas
lock ah tam mass murder
go4ivy.com
1970 mustang oil change
acupuncture hoboken
jos artigas
countee cullen letters nypl
coco and chase
colegio madero de puebla mexico
maxillofacial pathologist in boise idaho
amalgam mercury fillings
lotr blu ray
confusion newfoundland
dutton lainson dl900 winch
childbirth education pamplet
foot skin irritation bright red
kappa epsilon
2009 cessna 182
ncate.org
feeling faint when standing still
berkeley university faculty
finding hookers in mexico border towns
ec 130 eurocopter
mesothelioma peritoneal treatment
dcr files
california hourly law
chemical induced melancholy
american bodybuilding club
earthworks.net
prepatellar bursa
mount rainer elementary
17th wi infantry civil war
outdoorlivingideas.com
jenni falconer pics
networld.com
daily pisces horoscopes
albino catfish
hm government information tsar
children psychiatric hospitals new mexico
adena realty advisors
1970 trans am for sale
digital scanner fax server copiers compared
pohankahyundai.com
bat mitzvah hebrew blessing
baby frys birth time
candlestick larkspur
92.9 memphis tn
2001 s10 bumper brackets
is suzy orman married
alcohol abuse effect on spouse
curve 8330 mms software
final fantasy xii easy leveling
1540 was sent to find cibola
1984 lawsuit california herpes
choosing a company name and logo
cemetaries dunbar wv
greenleaf smokey mountains
aluminum tripod speaker stand
ecw stephanie mcmahon pics
mortgage advice cambridgeshire
add ad context menu item
alfredo angelo
federal financial participation limitation administrative
teeny boys and girls cocksuckers
1900 census lewistown montana fergus county

parfumsraffy.com
beaux arts gazette origional
artists affected by illegal downloading
iho-ohi.org
amorphous polyethylene viscoelasticity
90th birthday speech
exchange rate namibia to us
deborah o day forensic psychological evaluations
free morrowind backup image
bird beak craft with envelopes
jem and the holograms t-shirts
cockseducers.com
bally fitness forum
1967 oak lawn tornado
city of villains free download
facts on 3.5l l5 mpi engine
cofra eva s2
avi mpeg converter
55 palm beac lanes blvd
100 in 1 classic video games
habitat-nola.org
remanufactured yanmar marine diesel
bed in a bag camouflage
starkclerk.org
david mcquillin guilty plea
kanyetravel.com
complete taxonomy of the sunflower
eiffel germany
freepoker.com
grupo aven panam
churchill apartments perrysburg ohio
buy a vince lombardi trophy
911 power point presentations
1985 my child doll by mattel
rc-monster.com