Re: VMs: Is VMS unique - Was: Folio and Quire numbers

["Jeff" <jeff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nick Pelling incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote
On 04 April 2004 09:53


> Hi Petr,
>
> At 09:12 04/04/2004 +0200, you wrote:
> >IMHO VMS is unique. I've been making a loose and informal inventory of
old
> >crypto methods and I've found examples from France, England, Italy,
Germany,
> >Bohemia, and the Dutch Republic. All these methods are pretty standard
and
> >would have been cracked by now.
>
> Agreed. :-)
>
> >The fact that the VMS has not been cracked could point to a complex mix
of
> >crypto methods. But I've found no evidence yet that such mixes were in
use
> >in 1400 -1700.
>
> Also agreed - though note that it has been often claimed that there are
> possibly 1000s of as-yet-uncracked documents in archives around the world
> (cf Marcello Simonetta's Pazzi letter, for example), so it is entirely
> possible that a diligent search may uncover other examples of mixed /
> hybrid cipher systems from this period (though I suspect that any such
> would probably prove somewhat simpler). FWIW, I believe that the only
> period in history likely to have given rise to such complex combinatorial
> systems would have been after the Peace of Lodi (post-1454) and before
> polyalpha (say, pre-1520).
>
> Having said that, I also agree with Bruce that the VMs is most likely a
> one-off - a statistical outlier in a vast population of historical
ciphers.
> However, I also think that everything we need to solve it is already
> staring us in the face, if we would only see it! :-o
>
> Cheers, .....Nick Pelling.....
>

All the elements are staring you in the face Nick!

Jeff


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