Cryptograms Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-27-2021

Cryptography offers you the chance to solve all kinds of puzzles. Use basic solving techniques to crack substitution ciphers, including the Freemason’s cipher. Encode your own messages, decode incoming communications, and have fun trying to figure out conspiracies, codes, and cryptograms!

Article / Updated 09-27-2021

These five cryptograms are all letter substitution ciphers, at an Easy level. 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. The words THE, AND, and THAT are the most commonly seen short words in English. Double letters and apostrophes are also helpful when cracking ciphers. Easy Letter Cipher 1. Crack this cipher to reveal an interesting observation by J. Edgar Hoover, the first Director of the FBI. XURXE-XSIINBZ, N EOCS PKRBQ, NF XES ASG XK USFDKBFNMIS JNXNYSBFEND. XES XEKRFOBQF KP JUNHNBOIF N EOCS FSSB NB PKUXG GSOUF KP IOT SBPKUJSHSBX EOCS EOQ KBS XENBZ NB JKHHKB: SCSUG FNBZIS KBS TOF O INOU. Easy Letter Cipher 1 Answer Easy Letter Cipher 2.This cryptogram contains an old definition of Freemasonry: HX YPW FNNR WPHE, TAM CNUU ALNM P VNRXGMZ, XYPX TMNNBPWARMZ HW P WZWXNB AT BAMPUHXZ, LNHUNE HR PUUNJAMZ PRE HUUGWXMPXNE FZ WZBFAUW. Easy Letter Cipher 2 Answer Easy Letter Cipher 3. Look for repeating letter patterns to crack this cipher. EOI ETQDGPI ZHEO ORKHLV RL QBIL CHLN, QM JQDTYI, HY EORE BIQBPI ZHPP HLYHYE QL JQCHLV RPQLV RLN ETFHLV EQ BDE EOHLVY HL HE. EITTF BTREJOIEE Easy Letter Cipher 3 Answer Easy Letter Cipher 4. Discover what one American president thought about secret societies. SDD AGRNGI, ZSIF-MZWCX, QZDKIKRSD QSNIKGA SNG XSCYGNZWA IZ SCL CSIKZC, CZ HSIIGN FZE QWNG ZN FZE QSINKZIKR IFG HZIKOGA SCX QNKCRKQDGA EFKRF JKNAI MNKCY IFGH IZYGIFGN. QNGAKXGCI WDLAAGA A YNSCI Easy Letter Cipher 4 Answer Easy Letter Cipher 5. This was said by Dr. George Oliver (1782-1867), prominent English Freemason. AV AL T QWVS AJRWGKOJV XJ OHOZS GTLXJ VX LWIIXZV T KZXVPOZ'L RPTZTRVOZ AJ PAL TKLOJRO OYWTNNS TL VPXWDP PO EOZO IZOLOJV; JXV VX ZOHANO PAG KOPAJQ PAL KTRU JXZ LWMMOZ AV VX KO QXJO KS XVPOZL, EAVPXWV WLAJD OHOZS JOROLLTZS TVVOGIV VX IZOHOJV AV. Easy Letter Cipher 5 Answer Easy Letter Cipher 1 Answer U = R Easy Letter Cipher 2 Answer Z = Y Easy Letter Cipher 3 Answer P = L Easy Letter Cipher 4 Answer R = C Easy Letter Cipher 5 Answer Q = D

Article / Updated 06-06-2016

In this cryptogram, influential Freemason Albert Pike expresses his true feelings on slavery, in several statements on the subject gathered here as a single paragraph:

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Cryptography today has evolved into a complex science (some say an art) presenting many great promises and challenges in the field of information security. The basics of cryptography include classes and types of ciphers — cryptographic transformations — various terms and concepts, and the individual components of the cryptosystem. The two basic types of ciphers are substitution and transposition. Both are involved with the process of transforming plaintext (the intended message) into ciphertext (the encrypted message). Substitution ciphers Substitution ciphers replace bits, characters, or character blocks in plaintext with alternate bits, characters, or character blocks to produce ciphertext. A classic example of a substitution cipher is one that Julius Caesar used: He substituted letters of the message with other letters from the same alphabet. In a simple substitution cipher using the standard English alphabet, a cryptovariable (key) is added modulo 26 to the plaintext message. In modulo 26 addition, you subtract 26 from any sum greater than 26 (or add 26 to any value less than 1) to achieve the encrypted/decrypted numeric value. For example, a basic substitution cipher in which the word BOY is encrypted by adding three characters using modulo 26 math produces the following result: B O Y PLAINTEXT 2 15 25 NUMERIC VALUE+3 3 3 SUBSTITUTION VALUE 5 18 2 MODULO 26 RESULT E R B CIPHERTEXT A substitution cipher may be monoalphabetic or polyalphabetic: Monoalphabetic: A single alphabet is used to encrypt the entire plaintext message. Polyalphabetic: A more complex substitution that uses a different alphabet to encrypt each bit, character, or character block of a plaintext message. A more modern example of a substitution cipher is the S-boxes (Substitution boxes) employed in the Data Encryption Standard (DES) algorithm. The S-boxes in DES produce a nonlinear substitution (6 bits in, 4 bits out). Note: Do not attempt to sing this to the tune "Shave and a Haircut" to improve the strength of the encryption by hiding any statistical relationship between the plaintext and ciphertext characters. Transposition (or permutation) ciphers Transposition ciphers rearrange bits, characters, or character blocks in plaintext to produce ciphertext. In a simple columnar transposition cipher, a message might be read horizontally but written vertically to produce the ciphertext as in the following example: THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPED OVER THE LAZY DOG is written in 9 columns as THEQUICKBROWNFOXJUMPEDOVERTHELAZYDOG and then transposed (encrypted) vertically as TRMHHOPEEWELQNDAUFOZIOVYCXEDKJROBUTG The original letters of the plaintext message are the same; only the order has been changed to achieve encryption. DES performs permutations through the use of P-boxes (Permutation boxes) to spread the influence of a plaintext character over many characters so that they're not easily traced back to the S-boxes used in the substitution cipher. Other types of ciphers include Codes: Includes words and phrases. For example: Ciphertext: "Colonel Jessup, did you order the Code Red!?" Plaintext: "Did you order the attack!?" Running (or book) ciphers: For example, the key is page 137 of The Catcher in the Rye, and text on that page is added modulo 26 to perform encryption/decryption. Vernam ciphers: Also known as one-time pads, which are random keystreams that can only be used once. Both the sender and receiver have the same one-time pad that contains a keystream that is the same length as the message to which it is replied. Vernam ciphers are considered unbreakable because they are totally random and each keystream is used only once (hence the name one-time pad) and then thrown away. Concealment ciphers: These include steganography, in which the message itself isn't encrypted, but the very existence of the message is concealed within some other medium, such as over digital traffic noise or in a digital image. Most modern cryptosystems use both substitution and transposition/permutation to achieve encryption.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Freemasons have used ciphers since at least the 18th century. The Freemason’s Cipher is sometimes called the Pigpen Cipher, because the alphabet is written into a grid of lines, which may look like pigpens, and a cross shape from two diagonal lines. A letter is enciphered by drawing the shape of the cell that encompasses it. Freemasons learned one of the many versions of this cipher as part of the Royal Arch initiation. Here are the main reasons Freemasons use ciphers: To keep their ritual ceremonies secure so they aren’t easily discovered by the unitiated To keep messages about Masonic business (like “lodge officers meet one half-hour before the meeting of the full lodge”) just among Masons To have fun, plain and simple The Grand Lodge style of Freemasonry began in 1717 in London, England, and spread to France in fewer than ten years. In France, Freemasons experimented with the development of so-called high degrees, ritual initiation ceremonies that somehow went beyond the first three degrees of Freemasonry. These high degree ceremonies were plays that enhanced a Mason’s experience and interaction with the legends, for example, of the Temple built by King Solomon. Some believe that the French invented a degree called the Royal Arch, as a kind of completion (keystone) of the third or Master Mason degree. However the Royal Arch was developed — and early Masonic records are notoriously incomplete — history suggests that the Royal Arch degree was being conferred in London in the 1740s. When it comes down to it, the Freemason’s Cipher (in any version) is a straight substitution cipher, so you can solve it by substituting a letter for each symbol.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

It doesn’t matter whether a cryptogram presents you with letters, numbers, arcane symbols, lines and dots, or weird alien squiggles — if you’re asked to replace each letter in the alphabet with another symbol, you’re dealing with a simple substitution cipher. All substitution ciphers can be cracked by using the following tips: Scan through the cipher, looking for single-letter words. They’re almost definitely A or I. Count how many times each symbol appears in the puzzle. The most frequent symbol is probably E. It could also be T, A, or O, especially if the cryptogram is fairly short. Pencil in your guesses over the ciphertext. Do typical word fragments start to reveal themselves? Be prepared to erase and change your guesses! Look for apostrophes. They’re generally followed by S, T, D, M, LL, or RE. Look for repeating letter patterns. They may be common letter groups, such as TH, SH, RE, CH, TR, ING, ION, and ENT. Try to decipher two-, three-, and four-letter words. Two-letter words almost always have one vowel and one consonant. The five most common two-letter words, in order of frequency, are OF, TO, IN, IS, and IT. The most common three-letter words, in order of frequency, are THE, AND, FOR, WAS, and HIS. The most common four-letter word is THAT. An encrypted word with the pattern 1 - - 1 is likely to be THAT. However, the pattern 1 - - 1 also represents 30 other words, so keep this in mind! Scan for double letters. They’re most likely to be LL, followed in frequency by EE, SS, OO, and TT (and on to less commonly seen doubles).

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Cracking Codes & Cryptograms For Dummies has something extra — a secret word within the book for you to discover! This secret word isn’t listed in the Hints or Answers, and it isn’t mentioned anywhere within the book. The only way you can discover it is by solving the puzzles. Here are a few pointers to get you started on the trail: The secret word occurs as a keyword within one of the substitution cryptograms. The cryptogram in question doesn’t have any introductory text saying that the puzzle has a keyword. Decrypt the cryptograms in the usual way. To reveal any possible keywords, write out the plaintext and cipher alphabet in two rows (a to z on the top line, and the encrypted cipher letters on the second line, beneath the alphabet). If the puzzle has a keyword, you’ll see a sequence of letters that spells out a word within the cipher alphabet. The secret word has more than three letters. Not all keywords are placed at the start of the alphabet.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Printing out this page will make it easier to solve these cryptograms. Drawing a light vertical pencil line between the words in a symbol cipher makes it easier for you to see the words and letter patterns. Medium Symbol Cipher 1. Adapted from a story told about the last days of traitor Benedict Arnold (who died in 1801): Medium Symbol Cipher 1 Hint Medium Symbol Cipher 1 Answer Medium Symbol Cipher 2. Be careful to look at the details of each symbol in this cryptogram, so you don’t confuse one letter with another. Medium Symbol Cipher 2 Hint Medium Symbol Cipher 2 Answer Medium Symbol Cipher 3. There is a common pattern word in this cipher, spotting it will help to decipher the puzzle! Medium Symbol Cipher 3 Hint Medium Symbol Cipher 3 Answer Medium Symbol Cipher 1 Hint The first word ends with R. Medium Symbol Cipher Hint The last letter is L. Medium Symbol Cipher 3 Hint The last word starts with W.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Even though these number substitution cryptograms may look terribly confusing, they can be solved with exactly the same strategies as letter substitution puzzles. The numbers within one encrypted word are linked by a dot or a dash. Keep a close eye out for the spaces between words and punctuation. Look for the most frequently occurring numbers, which will probably be E, T and A. Hunt out recurring words like AND, THE, and THAT. You can find more tips on how to crack cryptograms on the Cracking Codes & Cryptograms For Dummies Cheat Sheet. Easy Number Cipher 1. Christopher Hodapp, author of Freemasons For Dummies, had this to say about Freemasonry: 04.22.19.19.21.11.13.05.20.22.09 15.19.11.06.12.19.13 24.19.13.13.05.20.13 05.04 13.05.06.08.11.24 11.20.18 21.05.22.11.24 23.08.22.15.16.19.13 26.11.13.19.18 05.20 13.09.21.26.05.24.08.13.21 05.04 15.12.19 15.05.05.24.13 11.20.18 24.11.20.14.16.11.14.19 05.04 15.12.19 11.20.06.08.19.20.15 26.16.08.24.18.08.20.14 15.22.11.18.19, 16.13.08.20.14 15.12.19 26.16.08.24.18.08.20.14 05.04 11 13.15.22.16.06.15.16.22.19 11.13 11 13.09.21.26.05.24 04.05.22 15.12.19 26.16.08.24.18.08.20.14 05.04 06.12.11.22.11.06.15.19.22 08.20 21.19.20. 21.11.13.05.20.13 11.22.19 05.26.24.08.14.19.18 15.05 17.22.11.06.15.08.06.19 26.22.05.15.12.19.22.24.09 24.05.23.19, 21.16.15.16.11.24 11.13.13.08.13.15.11.20.06.19, 19.07.16.11.24.08.15.09, 13.19.06.22.19.06.09, 11.20.18 15.22.16.13.15 26.19.15.25.19.19.20 19.11.06.12 05.15.12.19.22. Easy Number Cipher 1 Hint Easy Number Cipher 1 Answer Easy Number Cipher 2. Remember to look for single letter words, they’re almost always A or I. 26.22 07.23.22 07.25.25, 21.19 07 15.22.19.15.22, 22.12.06.22.23.03.15 18.19 15.22.10.23.22.10.02. 01.23.18.24 22.07.23.25.21.22.15.03 10.14.21.25.11.14.18.18.11 26.22 01.22.22.25 21.03.15 24.02.15.03.22.23.02 07.19.11 07.03.03.23.07.10.03.21.18.19. 26.22 05.19.18.26 04.18.03.14 03.14.22 06.18.26.22.23 21.03 10.18.19.01.22.23.15 07.19.11 03.14.22 04.13.23.11.22.19 21.03 21.24.06.18.15.22.15. 26.22 25.22.07.23.19 14.18.26 21.03 10.07.19 11.22.25.21.20.14.03, 20.21.16.22 04.23.22.07.03.14.21.19.20 15.06.07.10.22, 07.19.11 06.23.18.03.22.10.03. 15.21.15.15.22.25.07 04.18.05 Easy Number Cipher 2 Hint Easy Number Cipher 2 Answer Easy Number Cipher 3. Adapted from a statement of Albert Pike on “the crowning glory” of Freemasonry. 08.14 08.11 14.17.23 13.16.24.21.25.08.25.10 10.26.24.16.22 24.20 20.16.23.23.03.15.11.24.25.16.22 14.17.15.14, 16.23.02.12.08.16.08.25.10 24.25.26.22 14.17.15.14 15 13.15.25.01.08.01.15.14.23 11.17.15.26.26 04.23.26.08.23.06.23 15.25.01 18.12.14 17.08.11 14.16.12.11.14 08.25 15 26.08.06.08.25.10 15.25.01 18.23.16.11.24.25.15.26 10.24.01 15.25.01 15 26.08.20.23 15.20.14.23.16 01.23.15.14.17, 08.14 16.23.13.23.08.06.23.11 08.25.14.24 08.14.11 26.24.01.10.23.11 14.17.23 13.17.16.08.11.14.08.15.25 24.20 23.06.23.16.22 11.23.13.14, 14.17.23 07.23.21, 14.17.23 03.12.11.26.08.03 15.25.01 14.17.23 18.15.16.11.23.23, 15.25.01 12.25.08.14.23.11 14.17.23.03 08.25 14.17.23 17.24.26.22 04.24.25.01.11 24.20 04.16.24.14.17.23.16.17.24.24.01. Easy Number Cipher 3 Hint Easy Number Cipher 3 Answer Easy Number Cipher 4. Use your cryptographic skills to decipher this quote from a popular author. 02.10.03.11 13.26.02.19.26.07.04 03.26, 18.16 19.10.16 19.24.24 20.17.13.16.20; 21.25.16 20.25.19.11.16 13.20 26.03.21 21.25.13.20 06.15.21 21.25.19.21 21.25.16 20.16.07.10.16.21.20 21.03 06.16 09.13.20.07.03.01.16.10.16.09 19.10.16 20.03 17.19.24.21.10.04 19.26.09 02.16.18. 14.03.25.26 15.17.09.13.12.16 Easy Number Cipher 4 Hint Easy Number Cipher 4 Answer Easy Number Cipher 5. Cracking this cipher will answer the question “Is Freemasonry a religion?” VII-VIII. XI-XXV-XV-XV-XXIII-II-I-VIII-VII-XXV-XII XVII-VIII-XV-I-VII'XXIV VIII-XI-XI-XV-XXV II XXIII-XV-II-VII-I XXIV-VIII I-II-XVI-X-II-XXIV-V-VIII-VII VIII-XXV I-XXII-XV-IV-V-XI-V-IV XXIV-XV-II-IV-XX-V-VII-XXI-I II-III-VIII-XIII-XXIV XXIV-XX-XV VII-II-XXIV-XIII-XXV-XV VIII-XI XXI-VIII-XVII. V-XXIV'I VII-VIII XXIII-VIII-XXV-XV II XXV-XV-XVI-V-XXI-V-VIII-VII XXIV-XX-II-VII XXIV-XX-XV III-VIII-XII I-IV-VIII-XIII-XXIV-I (VI-XX-V-IV-XX II-XVI-I-VIII XIII-I-XV-I XXII-XXV-II-XII-XV-XXV V-VII V-XXIV-I XXIII-XV-XV-XXIV-V-VII-XXI-I) VIII-XXV XXIV-XX-XV IV-VIII-XIII-XXV-XXIV I-XII-I-XXIV-XV-XXIII (VI-XX-V-IV-XX II-XVI-I-VIII XIII-I-XV-I XXIV-XX-XV III-V-III-XVI-XV). Easy Number Cipher 5 Hint Easy Number Cipher 5 Answer Easy Number Cipher 1 Hint 21 = M Easy Number Cipher 2 Hint 25 = L Easy Number Cipher 3 Hint 01 = D Easy Number Cipher 4 Hint 02 = F Easy Number Cipher 5 Hint XII = Y

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

These number substitution cryptograms come from a variety of sources, from ancient times to the modern day. Use your letter frequency skills to crack them! You can find more tips on how to crack cryptograms on the Cracking Codes & Cryptograms For Dummies Cheat Sheet. Tricky Number Cipher 1. The numbers in this cipher have been randomly assigned as any two digit number between 01 and 99. 90.56.76.42 15.73 69.90.56.63.63 80.63.56.15.69 62.73.95 65.61.42.53 61.56.06.42 15.73.65 65.61.42 80.73.71.42.95 65.73 69.65.44.95 90.42.15’69 07.63.73.73.46. 15.44.74.74.73.63.73 90.56.74.61.44.56.06.42.63.63.44 Tricky Number Cipher 1 Hint Tricky Number Cipher 1 Answer Tricky Number Cipher 2. To crack this puzzle, remember that Roman numerals are represented as letters. 06.03 07.13.14.12 12.05.03 08.15.03.02.20.04.08.10 04.13.07.13.10.20.03.14 16.03.04.08.26.14.03 06.03 07.08.04.09.03.01 12.05.03 14.12.08.12.03.14.15.08.10.14.05.20.11 12.13 09.10.13.06 12.05.03 02.20.22.05.12 12.20.15.03 08.10.01 12.05.03 15.08.10.10.03.02 13.25 24.20.03.07.01.20.10.22 06.05.08.12 20.14 20.15.11.13.14.14.20.16.07.03 12.13 09.03.03.11. 21.26.03.03.10 03.07.20.23.08.16.03.12.05 20.20 Tricky Number Cipher 2 Hint Tricky Number Cipher 2 Answer Tricky Number Cipher 3. Two men prepare to exchange the password of the first degree of initiation into the Knights of the Golden Circle, Confederate sympathizers: 99.62.00 66.14.23.23 41.78.35 73.59.94 78.73.02.41.90.39.94.02, “59.62.66 41.98 14 73.62 35.90.62.66 99.62.00 73.62 52.94 41 35.90.14.39.59.73 62.93 73.59.94 39.62.23.20.94.90 69.14.02.69.23.94?” 59.94 66.14.23.23 02.94.06.23.99, “52.99 98.99 06.41.78.78.66.62.02.20.” 99.62.00 66.14.23.23 73.59.94.90 78.41.99, “66.14.23.23 99.62.00 39.14.34.94 14.73 73.62 98.94?” 59.94 66.14.23.23 78.41.99, “14 20.14.20 90.62.73 78.62 02.94.69.94.14.34.94 14.73; 52.00.73 14 66.14.23.23 23.94.73.73.94.02 14.73 66.14.73.59 99.62.00.” Tricky Number Cipher 3 Hint Tricky Number Cipher 3 Answer Tricky Number Cipher 4. Decrypt this cipher to find out if Freemasonry is a secret society: XXV-XXIII-IV XI-IV-XI-XX-IV-XXVI-VII VI-XIII IX XXV-XXVI-XIV-XIX-XV VII-IV-XVI-XXVI-IV-XXV VII-VI-XVI-II-IV-XXV-XV XVIII-IV-X-XV XXV-XXIII-IX-XXV XXV-XXIII-IV VII-VI-XVI-II-IV-XXV-XV IV-XVII-II-VII-XXV-VII IX-XXV IX-XIX-XIX, VI-XXVI IX-XXV XIX-IV-IX-VII-XXV XVIII-IV-X-XV XXV-XXIII-IX-XXV XXV-XXIII-IV-XV'XXVI-IV XI-IV-XI-XX-IV-XXVI-VII. XIII-XXVI-IV-IV-XI-IX-VII-VI-X-VII XVIII-VI X-IV-II-XXV-XXIII-IV-XXVI. Tricky Number Cipher 4 Hint Tricky Number Cipher 4 Answer Tricky Number Cipher 5. Chia Lin, an ancient commentator on Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, said: 12.11 12.02.15.26 22.20.01.06.18.03.01 25.21.20.10.25 20.25 13.20.04.10 12 15.12.11 22.20.01.06.18.03.01 10.12.02.25 18.02 10.26.10.25. Tricky Number Cipher 5 Hint Tricky Number Cipher 5 Answer Tricky Number Cipher 1 Hint 07 = B Tricky Number Cipher 2 Hint 20 = I Tricky Number Cipher 3 Hint 39 = G Tricky Number Cipher 4 Hint XVI = C Tricky Number Cipher 5 Hint 15 = M