Enigma no more!

February 27, 2006 4:50 PM

A previously unbroken Enigma code has been solved by a group of hackers.After just over a month of effort, the M4 group, using distributed computing, cracked a 60 year-old German naval code. The message: "Forced to submerge during attack." There are lots of other interesting historical codes that still remain mysteries, however. Lots of Enigma goodness in an earlier post.
posted by blahblahblah (16 comments total)

.
posted by russilwvong at 5:28 PM on February 27, 2006

Hsfbu ofxt!
posted by brain_drain at 5:40 PM on February 27, 2006

There are still three more messages to be cracked. Join in with the effort; clients are on the M4 page!
posted by zsazsa at 6:30 PM on February 27, 2006

They call themselves geeks? Where's the Enigma machine case mods?
posted by chef_boyardee at 6:34 PM on February 27, 2006

Now the war is surely well in hand.
posted by spiderwire at 7:11 PM on February 27, 2006

Enigma machine case mods?

Because nothing speeds up cryptography research like the gratuitous use of blue LEDs.
posted by eriko at 7:16 PM on February 27, 2006

I was thinking of building one of the Enigma machine replica kits, and asked a mathmatician friend of mine if they would e useful, ie stand up to much brute force by today's standards. He said an enigma code would be trivial with today's processing, and I guess this being done in just a month suggests he was right (it probably means it would take the NSA a few minutes :-). However, that's still a big roadblock to non-hackers. I don't usually need strong encryption, so maybe the neat-o factor of using a replica enigma machine would be worth it.
Thanks for the link. It's good to have a solid ballpark as to what it actually takes to crack enigma today.
posted by -harlequin- at 7:23 PM on February 27, 2006

It seems that both this thread and the linked one missed the electronic enigma kit, for those that want a machine rather than software, but don't want to hand-mill all sorts of weird mechanical parts :)
posted by -harlequin- at 7:27 PM on February 27, 2006

Because nothing speeds up cryptography research like the gratuitous use of blue LEDs.

I prefer amber LEDs in my vintage-themed case mods :-)
posted by -harlequin- at 7:30 PM on February 27, 2006

The movie Enigma, released 2001 and starring Kate Winslet, is really good. It's about British codebreakers in WW2.
posted by neuron at 8:14 PM on February 27, 2006

ateK insletW : 'dI erbV erH ounN.
posted by lalochezia at 8:47 PM on February 27, 2006

The Jerries will be in a devil of a pickle now that our boys have cracked their code! Their subs will be sitting ducks!
posted by misteraitch at 3:33 AM on February 28, 2006

I ask that this post be deleted.

Loose lips sink ships!
The Kaiser is reading!
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:53 AM on February 28, 2006

misteraitch - hahahaha
posted by 13twelve at 5:04 AM on February 28, 2006

I prefer amber LEDs in my vintage-themed case mods :-)

May I humbly suggest NE-2 Neons?. The advanced course would include Nixie Tubes and Dekatrons.
posted by eriko at 5:31 AM on February 28, 2006

I'veyay otgay ymay eryvay ownyay odecay andyay youay allyay illway evernay eakbray ityay.
posted by mrmojoflying at 5:32 AM on February 28, 2006