Cracking Enigma in 2021 - Computerphile

Enigma is known as the WWII cipher, but how does it hold up in 2021? Dr Mike Pound implemented it and shows how it stacks up against his laptop.

Mikes Code:

Cryptool v2 is here:

The original paper that Mike's attack is based off



This video was filmed and edited by Sean Riley.

[humanNumer]

Let's honour great Polish mathematicians (Jerzy Różycki, Henryk Zygalski, Marian Rajewski) who broke the first Enigma giving Turning the basis, so they are not erased from history

[PhilKulak]

What a testament to Turing's brilliance: it's not even trivial 80 years later.

[Liggliluff]

What I take from this video is that, if you get one of them correct, it'll be slightly better.

[mattiiejwheis]

We cracked enigma a few years ago in our class with our teacher and it was so much fun. He really tried to explain everything and we actually understood it. It was such a great feeling to see this video and remember everything I learned

[AlexSchmid-TheAceofSpades]

" I implemted an enigma machine because it was fun."

This is the mark of a true programmer.

[Saturate]

Someone has to finish Code Bullet's projects...

[umka]

Dr. Mike Pound is definitely my favorite speaker on the Computerphile. His ability to explain complex problems in a very easy to get way is outstanding.

[DeHerg]

18:30 "In the war the limited messages to something like 200 characters"
Oh great it's Twitter all over again.

[hackcraft_]

"well, the weakness of Enigma is that if we get some of these things right, even if the others are wrong, we get a little bit closer to the answer, usually."

[m.cigledy]

One thing that wasn't mentioned was how difficult it would be to decipher if you didn't start out already knowing that it was an enigma cypher.

[asailijhijr]

The fact or property that getting some settings right improves the metrics means that your approach resembles single-pin picking of a lock.

[DBProds]

Pound is the best speaker on this channel, pound for pound, no contest. Insta watch.

[GastevAleksei]

Mike Pound? Enigma machine? Now this video is lit!

[zamalek]

The known plaintext at the beginning was the salute that referenced their leader. His ego ultimately led to enigma being cracked during the war.

[asciimation]

I am glad your code implements the double stepping correctly. As you say implementing Enigma in code is really just array manipulation. I've done a few versions including one in 80s home computer BASIC! The algorithm for Enigma is really quite simple. The Turing/Welchman Bombe, the machine they actually used in WW2 to crack Enigma, is much more complicated. Reverse engineering that, really understanding how it works then making my own was one of my most satisfying projects. Welchman's contribution of the diagonal board to Turing's original design was brilliant. And Welchman was also responsible for coming up with the idea of traffic analysis. I always feel a bit sad that Turing's name is always mentioned but Welchman is nearly unheard of. And yes, as others have rightly pointed out all that work was made possible but the work of the three Polish mathematicians and the Frenchman Bertrand who somehow managed to co-ordinate things between the English, French and Poles. One other difficulty is real Enigma messages were not just plain text. They contained a lot of military jargon and acronyms. Very cool video and well explained, thank you!

[ToadyEN]

14:36 “I’m lazy”

- programmes enigma machine decoder in spare time 😂

[alexrossouw]

Enigma machine: "zmnag ttygt lmrus cd!"

Alan Turing: "fkxs."

[jasonca]

I love how at 6:50 the transition and lighting makes it look like a whole day has passed while MP has been churning out ciphertext lol

[timothyj]

I worked with something similar in the Army as a Radio Teletype operator. It was called a KW-7. You were handed a slip of paper and on it was pairs of numbers I believe it was 1 to 32. In the KW-7 there was something called the "Block". The block had 32 wires which you would arrange into sockets on the block according to that slip of paper. Once you set these wires in the block, you put the block into the main crypto body, close and lock the lid, then run a system check. In order for it work properly, you would key up the radio, and hold a button for 15 seconds to sync with other receiving stations. At the time, the machine was classified as Confidential, once keyed it was classified as secret. Unfortunately the system was compromised by the Walker Spy Ring. Not only did this group sell the key lists for almost 20 years. But gave them the design specifications. The crypto essentially was rendered ineffective. I was basically out of a job and was reduced in my speciatly as a single channel radio operator. If this interests you. Look up the AN/GRC-142, AN-GRC-122, AN/VSC-2, and the AN/VSC3. Very cool stuff in its time. All museum pieces now. The KW-7 is no longer classified.

[xrn]

What I love about Professor Pound is that not only is he hilarious - he is also a humble genius