11
A detective is solving a case where a Vigenère cipher was used. The key used is "KEY" and the encrypted message is "LXFOPVEFRNHR". What is the decoded message?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Answer & Solution
Solution:
The Vigenère cipher is a polyalphabetic substitution cipher that uses a
keyword to encrypt the plaintext. To decrypt, you reverse the process.
- Key Repetition:
Write the key repeatedly above the ciphertext: KEYKEYKEYKEYKEY
LXFOPVEFRNHR
- Numerical Conversion:
Convert letters to numbers (A=0, B=1... Z=25): K(10) E(4) Y(24) K(10) E(4)
Y(24) K(10) E(4) Y(24) K(10) E(4) Y(24) L(11) X(23) F(5) O(15) P(14) V(21)
E(4) F(5) R(17) N(13) H(7) R(17)
- Decryption:
Subtract the key number from the ciphertext number for each corresponding
pair. If the result is negative, add 26 (the number of letters in the
alphabet) to get a positive number within the range 0-25.
- L(11) - K(10) = 1 = B
- X(23) - E(4) = 19 = T
- F(5) - Y(24) = -19 + 26 = 7 = H
- O(15) - K(10) = 5 = F
- P(14) - E(4) = 10 = K
- V(21) - Y(24) = -3 + 26 = 23 = X
- E(4) - K(10) = -6 + 26 = 20 = U
- F(5) - E(4) = 1 = B
- R(17) - Y(24) = -7 + 26 = 19 = T
- N(13) - K(10) = 3 = D
- H(7) - E(4) = 3 = D
- R(17) - Y(24) = -7 + 26 = 19 = T
- Convert Back to Letters: Convert the numbers back to letters: 1 19 7 5 10 23 20
1 19 3 3 19 = B T H F K X U B T D D T
12
A detective receives a transposition cipher with the following encrypted message: "OMIT THE NUMBERS". What is the original message if the letters are rearranged?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Answer & Solution
Solution:
In a transposition cipher,
the order of the letters is rearranged. When rearranged, the original message
becomes THE NUMBERS OMIT.
13
A detective finds a message that was encoded using ROT13 encryption. The encrypted message is " yrggrfe". What is the decoded message?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Answer & Solution
Solution:
The ROT13 cipher shifts each
letter by 13 positions in the alphabet.
y shifted 13
places becomes l
r shifted 13
places becomes e
g shifted 13
places becomes t
g shifted 13
places becomes t
r shifted 13
places becomes e
e shifted 13
places becomes r
f shifted 13
places becomes s
Thus, the decoded message is LETTERS.
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