Encryption Case

Don’t most people have an interest in computers, even at a young age? The complex calculations and speed at which computers can perform complicated tasks is simply amazing. Computers can perform at speeds that are almost incomprehensible to the average human. Put the topic of computers together with that of coding and decoding and many people’s interest would be peaked. Isn’t every kid fascinated with coding and decoding? Most college students today had walkie talkies as kids and loved trying to use Morse code to communicate with one another. Although most people did not actually understand the messages they received, but everyone had fun trying

The concept of coding and decoding messages was around long before walkie talkies. The use of codes and ciphers has been around for thousands of years. As far back as the Romans, codes and ciphers have been used to transmit secret messages. This concept of a secret language continued through to The Middle Ages where monks often used them to relay secret, dangerous or even entertaining information. The use of these secret languages and codes has continued from The Middle Ages right into the 21st century.

For obvious reasons, one of the main consumers of secret languages is the military. Sending secret messages, which the enemy could not decipher, was of paramount importance especially during war time. Back in World War II, the first programmable, digital computer was created to decipher messages between the German command and their army commands. This computer, the Colossus, allowed the British to obtain valuable intelligence from the Germans.

Prior to the 1940’s invention of the first computer, a “computer” was as person who was tasked with performing these calculations. These calculations were very time consuming and tedious. Turing was not trying to create the computer when he came up with this concept. He was simply trying to solve the Entscheidungsproblem brought about by David Hilbert in 1928.

Another important invention that came about in the 1940s was the Delilah which allowed two people to communicate in a secure fashion. The portable nature of the Delilah and its complex scrambling feature made it revolutionary

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