5 Ways to Create Secret Codes and Encrypted Messages

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Codes are a way to alter a message to hide its original meaning. Usually, they require a keyword or code book to be interpreted. Ciphers are algorithms applied to a message that hide or encrypt the information transmitted. These algorithms are reversed to translate or decrypt the message. Codes and ciphers are an important part of communications security science (cryptoanalysis).

Steps

Method 1 of 5: Using Simple Ciphers and Codes (for Kids)

Step 1. Write the words backwards

This is a simple encryption method that prevents you from understanding a message at first sight. A sentence like "Meet us outside" written backwards becomes "irouf icomairtnocni".

This code is simple to solve, but it can be useful if you believe someone is trying to peek through your messages

Step 2. Flip the alphabet halfway to encrypt the messages

Write the letters A through M on a single line of paper. Directly below this line, write the letters N to Z always in one line. Replace all the letters of the sentence you want to write with those in the opposite line.

Using the reflected alphabet, "Hello" becomes "Pvnb"

Step 3. Test the pigpen cipher

Draw a tic-tac-toe grid on a piece of paper. Write the letters A to I in the grid, left to right, top to bottom. In this example:

• The first line is made up of the letters A, B, C;
• The second from D, E, F;
• The latest from G, H, I.

Step 4. Create a second grid with dots

Draw another next to the first tic-tac-toe grid and fill it with the letters J to R, as you did with the first. Now put points in each box as described:

• In the first row, starting from the left, put a dot in the lower right corner (letter I), in the lower center (letter K) and in the lower left corner (letter L).
• In the second row, starting from the left, put a dot in the center right (letter M), bottom center (letter N) and center left (letter O).
• In the third row, starting from the left, put a dot in the upper right corner (letter P), in the upper center (letter Q) and in the upper left corner (letter R).

Step 5. Draw two Xs next to the grids

You will need to fill them in with other letters in order to complete your pigpen cipher. In the second X, put points in the boxes, near the points where the lines of the letter cross, in the center. Now:

• In the first X (without dots), write S in the top box, T on the left, U on the right and V at the bottom;
• In the second X, write W at the top, X at the left, Y at the right, and Z at the bottom.

Step 6. Use the grids around the letters to write with the pigpen cipher

Grid lines (including points) are used to replace letters. Use the cipher to translate messages into code and vice versa.

Step 7. Use a date-changing cipher

Choose a date. You can use a day of particular importance to you, like your birthday or graduation date, or one that doesn't concern you, like Garibaldi's birth. Write the date as a sequence of consecutive numbers and you will use it as a key.

• For example, if you decide to use Giuseppe Garibaldi's date of birth (4/7/1807), write it as 2221732;
• If you have agreed with a friend to use this type of cipher, you can accompany the cipher message with a clue (such as "Garibaldi") to derive the numeric key.

Step 8. Encrypt the message with the numeric key linked to the date

Write it on a sheet of paper. Below it, write a single digit of the key for each letter of the message. When you get to the last digit of the date, repeat it from the beginning. For example, using Garibaldi's date of birth (4/7/1807):

• Message: I'm hungry

• Encryption:

  I am hungry

  4.7.1.8.0.7

  Move the letters according to the numeric key, getting …

• Encrypted message: L. V. G. I. M. L

Step 9. Use secret language, such as a bow tie

In this language game, the vowels are modified by adding an "f" in between.

• The substitutions used are a = afa; e = efe; i = ifi; o = ofo; u = ufu;
• For example, the word "hello" becomes kyphiaphaoph ";
• There is a simpler version of this alphabet where you just add an f after the vowels.

Method 2 of 5: Using Codes

Step 1. Recognize the limitations of the codes

Codebooks can be stolen, lost or destroyed. Modern cryptoanalytic techniques and computer analysis are often capable of solving even the most secure codes. Nonetheless, codes can condense long messages into a single word, so they are great for saving time.

• Codes are useful for practicing identifying repeating patterns. You can take advantage of this ability to encode, decrypt, encrypt and decrypt messages.
• We often spontaneously use codes with our best friends. The jokes we share only with them can be considered a kind of "code". Try developing a coded language together with them.

Step 2. Decide the goal of your code

This way you will avoid doing unnecessary work. If you want to save time, you just need a few specific code words. If, on the other hand, you want to encode complex messages, you have to develop a code book, a kind of dictionary that contains all the terms for encoding.

• Choose common expressions that you use in the messages you want to encode. They are the most suitable to be condensed into a single word.
• You can make a code even more complex by using multiple systems in rotation or in combination. However, for each code, you will need a code book.

Step 3. Develop your code book

Concentrate the expressions you use most often, such as "Ti recepvo forte e chiara" into a word like "rifo". Establish code terms for all the words and expressions that will make up the encoded messages.

• In some cases, a partial code may be sufficient to encrypt a message. For example, if "go" becomes "tango", "museum" becomes "restaurant" and the word "rifo" described above still holds:

  • Message: About yesterday, I meant rifo. I will dance the tango at the restaurant as decided. Over and out.
  • Meaning: Regarding yesterday, I wanted to tell you that I received loud and clear. I will go to the museum as decided. Over and out.

  

  Step 4. Apply your code book to messages

  Use the coding terms in the book to encrypt your messages. You may find that you save time by leaving nouns (such as nouns and pronouns) unchanged. However, decide based on the situation.

  Double-key codes apply different code books for encoding and decrypting a message. They are much more difficult to fix than those with only one key

  

  Step 5. If you prefer, use a key to encrypt the message

  A sentence, a group of words, letters, symbols or a combination of these elements can be used as a key to encode information. The recipient of the message will need the key to be able to decrypt it.

  • For example, if the keyword is "SECRET", each letter of the message is converted to the number of letters away from the corresponding letter of the key. Eg:

    • Message: Hi

    • Encoding:

      / C / is a

      Step 15. letters away from / S /

      / i / is

      Step 4. letters from / to /

      / a / is

      Step 6. letters from / G /

      and so on…

    • Coded message: 15; 4; 6; 3

    

    Step 6. Decode the messages

    When you receive a code phrase, you must use the code book or keyword to translate it. It won't be easy at first, but as you become familiar with the code, the process will become more intuitive.

    To become better at coding messages, invite your friends to join an amateur coding group. Pass messages to improve your skills

    Method 3 of 5: Learn the Most Common Codes

    

    Step 1. Use the code used by Mary, the Queen of Scots

    When trying to send messages in a politically troubled time, Maria used symbols to replace the letters of the alphabet and the most common words. Here are some features of Maria's code that might be useful for your crypto education:

    • Maria used simple shapes for the most common letters, such as a circle for the / A /. This saved her time when encoding.
    • It used common symbols for the new language, such as "8" for the letter "Y". This strategy can be confusing for those who try to decode the message, because they may consider the 8 as a number and not as a symbol.
    • He used unique symbols for common words. Maria wrote "pray" (pray) and "bearer" (bearer) with particular symbols, but these are terms much more used then than today. However, using symbols for the most frequently used words and expressions saves time and makes your code more complex.

    

    Step 2. Use code phrases similar to military warnings

    These sentences condense many meanings into a single expression. Even many military warnings, such as the DEFCON system, are simply well-known codes that indicate the alert status of the army. Come up with code words and expressions suitable for everyday life.

    • For example, instead of saying "I have to run home" when you are with friends, you can use the code word "Careless".
    • To let your friends know that the person you have a crush on has arrived, you can use the code phrase "My cousin Paul likes basketball too."

    

    Step 3. Encrypt the messages using a book as a key

    It is quite easy to find a copy of the most famous books. If you and some friends have decided to use a book as a key, when you receive a coded message you can go to the library to decrypt it.

    • For example, you might decide to use Frank Herbert's "Dune", with coded numbers representing the page, line and word number, starting from the left.

      • Message in code: 224.10.1; 187.15.1; 163.1.7; 309.4.4
      • Decoded message: I hide my words.
    • Books of different editions may use different page numbers. To make sure the correct book is used as a key, include publication information, such as edition, year of printing, and so on.

    Method 4 of 5: Deciphering the Ciphers

    

    Step 1. Determine if a cipher is right for you

    A cipher uses an algorithm, which is a transformation process that is applied to a message in a consistent way. This means that anyone who knows the cipher can translate it.

    • Complex ciphers can challenge even experienced crypto analysts. In some cases, the calculations behind a cipher can be a sufficient defense to hide messages you exchange every day.
    • Many cryptographers add a key, such as the date, to make the ciphers more secure. The key modifies the algorithm result based on the number of the day of the month (the former all results would be changed by one position).

    

    Step 2. Invent an algorithm to apply to the message

    One of the simplest ciphers is ROT1, better known by the cipher name of Caesar. In this case it is sufficient to transform the letters of the message into those that follow them in the alphabet.

    • ROT1 message: Hello
    • ROT1 encryption: d; j; b; p
    • You can change the Caesar cipher by replacing the letters with others that are more distant in the alphabet. As a concept, ROT1 and ROT13 are identical.
    • Ciphers can be incredibly complex. Some require the use of coordinates, times, and other values. Some algorithms can only be used by computers.

    

    Step 3. Encrypt the messages

    Use your chosen algorithm to encrypt messages. As you learn the operation, you will get faster. Add new elements to the algorithm to make it more complex. Eg:

    • Include a rotation condition in the cipher, such as the day of the week. Assign a value to each day, then change the cipher of that value based on the day you write the message.

    • Include a page number with the encrypted message. Each matching letter on that page will serve as a key to the message, for example:

      • First decrypted message: 0; 8; 19; 9

      • Key to the book: Home

        / C / is a 0 distance letters from / C /

        / i / is a

        Step 8. distance letters from / to /

        / a / is

        Step 3. distance letters from / s /

        and so on…

      • Message edited with the key: Hello

      

      Step 4. Decrypt the messages

      When you've mastered cipher reading, you shouldn't have a hard time interpreting sentences, or at least it should be easier. Since the application of these algorithms is consistent, practice will help you notice repeating trends and develop a good insight when using this type of encryption system.

      You will find many amateur crypto clubs online. In many cases, participation is free and guides are offered on the basics of modern encryption

      Method 5 of 5: Learning the Standard Ciphers

      

      Step 1. Master Morse Code

      Regardless of its name, Morse code is a cipher. The dots and lines represent long and short electrical signals which, in turn, represent the letters of the alphabet. This alphabet allowed the birth of electrical communications many years ago (telegraph). The most common letters in Morse, represented by long (_) and short (.) Signals, include:

      • R; S; T; L:._.; _..; _;._..
      • TO; AND; OR:._;.; _ _ _

      

      Step 2. Use the ciphers for transposition

      Many famous historical figures, such as the brilliant Leonardo da Vinci, wrote messages as if the words were reflected in the mirror. This type of encryption is known as "mirror writing". At first it can be difficult to interpret, but after a short time it will come naturally to you.

      Transposition ciphers usually consider messages and letter formation visually. The image of what is written is transformed to hide the meaning

      

      Step 3. Convert the messages to binary

      Binary is the language consisting of 0 and 1 used by computers. The combination of these numbers can be encrypted and then decrypted with a binary key, or by calculating the value represented by the 0s and 1s for each letter written.