CyberCode Academy

Course 17 - Computer Network Security Protocols And Techniques | Episode 2: Traditional Ciphers: Substitution and Transposition Methods

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In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
  • What traditional (classical) ciphers are and why they were used
  • The two main categories of traditional encryption techniques
  • How substitution ciphers hide information
  • How transposition ciphers obscure messages by rearranging characters
Introduction This lesson introduces traditional ciphers, also known as classical encryption algorithms. These methods were developed long before modern digital communication and cryptography. They protect information by substituting characters or reordering them, making the original message unreadable to unintended recipients. Although insecure by modern standards, traditional ciphers are important for understanding the foundations of cryptography and how encryption concepts evolved. Main Categories of Traditional Ciphers Traditional ciphers are generally divided into two primary categories: 1. Substitution Ciphers Substitution ciphers work by replacing one character or symbol with another according to a defined rule or key. Monoalphabetic Ciphers
  • Each plaintext character is always replaced by the same ciphertext character.
  • The substitution does not change based on the character’s position.
  • Example:
    • A → D
    • 3 → 7
  • This creates a one-to-one mapping between plaintext and ciphertext characters.
Caesar Cipher (Shift Cipher)
  • One of the simplest and most well-known monoalphabetic ciphers.
  • Commonly uses only uppercase alphabetic characters.
  • Encryption shifts each character forward by a fixed number (the key).
    • Example: with a key of 5
      • A → F
  • When the shift passes Z, it wraps around to the beginning of the alphabet.
  • Decryption reverses the process by shifting characters backward using the same key.
Polyalphabetic Ciphers
  • The substitution depends on the character’s position in the message.
  • A single plaintext character may be replaced by different ciphertext characters at different positions.
  • This creates a one-to-many relationship, making patterns harder to detect.
  • Typically implemented by:
    • Dividing plaintext into groups
    • Applying a sequence of keys cyclically across the characters
2. Transposition Ciphers Transposition ciphers do not replace characters.
Instead, they rearrange (permute) the existing characters according to a key. Key Characteristics
  • The original characters remain unchanged
  • Only their positions are altered
  • The encryption process typically involves:
    • Removing spaces from the plaintext
    • Dividing the message into blocks based on a key
    • Reordering characters within each block
    • Adding padding characters if a block is incomplete
Decryption
  • The receiver uses the same key
  • The permutation process is reversed
  • The original plaintext is reconstructed
Key Takeaways
  • Traditional ciphers are the foundation of modern cryptography
  • Substitution ciphers hide messages by replacing characters
  • Transposition ciphers hide messages by rearranging characters
  • Monoalphabetic ciphers are simple but vulnerable to analysis
  • Polyalphabetic ciphers improve security by reducing patterns
  • Understanding classical ciphers helps explain why modern encryption is necessary


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CyberCode AcademyBy CyberCode Academy