Class of Ciphers Histories; Cryptography

Ciphers


The origins of modern cryptography date back approximately 3000 years. The procedures used to encrypt messages before 1900 were primitive compared to modern approaches, but they are easy to understand and provide a good basis to study the more complicated methods. In recent times, especially after the emergence of telecommunication  equipment, more complex encryption methods have become necessary. Today, an exorbitant amount of information is transmitted via the internet. Millions of people use websites for their banking activities causing the transmission of sensible data via networks where  the precise routing of data is not always known and data may be manipulated or stolen.

This website gives you the opportunity to learn about ciphers and to test them in an interactive way within your browser. Try to encrypt a message for yourself and send it to a friend. Learn about the weak spots of popular ciphers and how they can be decrypted without knowing the key.

Classical ciphers
ADFG(V)X
Alberti
AMSCO
Autokey
Beaufort
Bifid
Caesar / Rot-13
Enigma
Four-Square
Freemason
Gronsfeld
Hill
Kamasutra
Larrabee
Homophonic
Monoalphabetic Substitution
Multiplicative
Navajo
Nihilist
Playfair
Pollux
Polybius
Porta
Rotation
Scytale
Templar
Transposition
Trithemius
Vigenère
Zigzag (Rail Fence)