Breaking Historical Ciphertexts with Modern Techniques

Explore the fascinating world of historical cryptography in this 39-minute conference talk from BSidesLV. Delve into the realm of encrypted messages from the past 500 years, including dispatches from aristocrats, military communications, and even criminal correspondence. Learn about the DECODE database, which houses approximately 8,000 historical ciphertexts and continues to grow. Discover modern techniques for breaking these historical ciphers, based on the 2023 book "Codebreaking: A Practical Guide" by presenters Klaus Schmeh and Elonka Dunin. Enjoy an entertaining presentation style featuring Lego brick models, hand-drawn cartoons, and animations while exploring real-world examples of codebreaking. Gain insights into the most important historical ciphers and the interdisciplinary research that has advanced the field of historical cryptanalysis.