Cryptograms: New Vision — The Thiagi Group (2024)

FAQs

What is the cryptogram code? ›

A cryptogram is a kind of secret code. The formal name for this particular kind of code is a simple substitution cipher. Strictly speaking, a code is a method of disguising a message that uses a dictionary of arbitrarily chosen replacements for each possible word. A foreign language is like a code.

A cryptogram is a word puzzle featuring encrypted text that the user decrypts to reveal a message of some sort. Once used for message security, cryptograms are now typically only used for entertainment purposes in newspapers and magazines. Cryptoquotes and cryptoquips are common variations that feature quotations.

History. The ciphers used in cryptograms were created not for entertainment purposes, but for real encryption of military or personal secrets. The first use of the cryptogram for entertainment purposes occurred during the Middle Ages by monks who had spare time for intellectual games.

Start by sorting pieces into piles by similar colors; start broadly, making subdivisions as you go to match more specific hues, patterns, and images. This will help segment the puzzle-solving process into smaller and more manageable sections. You can also use an organizer or sorter to make this even easier.

The basic strategy is to continually build on what you have, using the letters you know to help figure out other letters and words in the message. Check the list of letters you've used (which are marked off automatically at the top of the puzzle) as you go to help you think about your possibilities.

The trifid cipher was invented by amateur cryptographer Félix Delastelle, ca. 1900. The encryption key for a trifid cipher consists of a positive integer (the period) and a 3×3×3 array containing all of the distinct letters of the English alphabet plus one additional character.

Most cryptograms can be solved by hand, without the help of a computer program. Today, cryptograms are also used for entertainment purposes and are often printed in the newspaper or on digital media outlets for readers to decipher. Cryptograms are also used to secure credit and debit card transactions.

Each letter of the alphabet is substituted by another letter, and no letter is encrypted as itself. To start out on these puzzles, look for the most frequent letter in each cryptogram — you'll find it's almost always E. Single-letter words will be A or I.

What is the hardest cryptogram? ›

One-time pad. The one-time pad is considered the most secure cipher as it uses a random key that is only used once. As long as the key remains secret, the message cannot be deciphered. The One-time pad is a cryptographic encryption technique that is considered to be mathematically unbreakable if used correctly.

A Scytale, an early device for encryption. The earliest known use of cryptography is found in non-standard hieroglyphs carved into the wall of a tomb from the Old Kingdom of Egypt circa 1900 BC.

Encryption defined

At its most basic level, encryption is the process of protecting information or data by using mathematical models to scramble it in such a way that only the parties who have the key to unscramble it can access it.

Look for repeated letter combinations that might represent common words; words like THE & AND are bound to show up often. Double letters at the end of a word will often be LL or SS. Double letters in the middle of a 4-letter word will often be EE or OO. The most common 4-letter word with letter pattern ABCA is THAT.

Codebreakers are fiendishly addictive puzzles in which every letter in a typical crossword grid has been replaced by a number between 1 and 26. Work out which number corresponds to which letter and fill these in to spell out words and complete the grid.