Introduction

For over 4,500 years, cryptography has existed as a means of se-

cretly communicating information. Egyptian hieroglyphics are the

first example of the use of cryptography to hide information from

those not “in the know”. The use of cryptographic ciphers is cen-

tral to events surrounding historical figures such as Julius Caesar,

Queen Elizabeth I, Mata Hari, and Alfred Dreyfus, while playing

a significant role in the Allies’ victory over the Axis powers dur-

ing World War II, directly affecting the outcome of the Battle of

Midway and other engagements [88]. For those interested in cryp-

tographic history, books such as Brute Force: Cracking the Data

ers. The Story of Secret Writing [148], by David Kahn, provide

interesting reading on how cryptography has affected world events.