100 years in polish cryptography - nicolas courtois€¦ · – 1929: taught cryptography to...

100 Yearsin Polish Cryptography

Nicolas T. CourtoisUniversity College of London, UK

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Dr. Nicolas T. Courtois

1. cryptologist and codebreaker

2. payment and smart cards (e.g. bank cards, Oyster cards etc…)

Security of Bitcoin

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My Bloghttp://blog.bettercrypto.com

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Nicolas T. Courtois, 20125

18th Century

Code making and code breaking was done by all major powers.

Famous mathematicians: Pierre de Fermat, Pascal, Goldbach... were code breakers..

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All Broken?

Example:

• At the end of 18th Russia was breaking the codes of virtually all major powers.

• End of 19th century: the same– ONLY Vienna was able to keep their diplomatic

communications secret from Moscow.

– all other countries’ ciphers were broken.

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Intelligence Services

Russia and Austro-Hungary were leaders in the creation of modern

“Military Intelligence”.

[Kahn]

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20th CenturyDisruptive invention:

Radio communication.

Initially forbidden or distrusted in the army. But adoption inevitable.

Very soon “routine” encryption was needed:

• Encryption done as routine job of specialized soldiers: “cipher clerks” and “cipher officers” worked along “radio-operators”.

History: 1914

• Beginning of WW1: Russians recovered a code book from SMS Magdeburg…

• Russia started breaking German codes…

– Very close near real-time cooperation with the British intelligence.

• Daily keys were broken in 30-90 minutes.

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1917-20: Sudden Decline of Russian Cryptology

• The Tzarist services mostly continued their work with the armies of white generals.

• Red Army reated a new service.• lack of crypto expertise…

• In 1918 - 1920 almost all encrypted correspondence of the General Staff and the Soviet Government was easily broken by

– the white (counterrevolutionary) armed forces

– the British,

– the Swedish,

– the Polish.

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Austria-Hungary

• Was a real melting pot where many nations mixed…

• Herrman Pokorny: – Native German speaker born in Moravia…

– Died in 1960 as a general in Hungarian army…

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Hermann PokornyAustria-Hungary leading code breaker and linguist

Austria-Hungary

• 1914-17: Pokorny+team broke Russian codes

so quickly that "for a long time our German allies

couldn't believe it," [von Walzel]

• Key factor in Central Powers victories over Russia in WW1.

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Hermann PokornyAustria-Hungary leading code breaker and linguist

Poland

• His cousin maj. Franciszek Pokornyhave later headed the Polish Cipher Bureau…– 1929: taught cryptography to

Rejewski, Różycki Zygalski in Poznan

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Austrian-Hungary => Poland

• 1918: Polish state was created. – in no time Poland became the worldwide

leader in:• intelligence and clandestine operations

• professional radio interception

• code breaking

– Immense success in War with Russia…• Kowalewski “Won the War”.

• Order of the Rising Sun –the highest military award in Japan

• Virtuti Militari -the highest military award in Poland

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Jan Kowalewski

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R&D vs. GDP[source: world bank 2016]

• Mongolia 0.2% Pakistan 0.3% Belarus, Bulgaria, 0.70% Poland, Turkey 0.9%,

• Brazil, Russia 1.1% Portugal 1.4%

• Canada, UK 1.6%

• Czech Rep. 1.9% China 2.0%

• Australia, France, Belgium, Estonia 2.3%

• Austria 2.7% Germany 2.80%

• Sweden 3.2% Japan 3.4% Finland 3.6%

• Korea 3.8% Israel 4.1%http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS

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Bad News

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Jan Kowalewski

3 June 2016

100 years in polish cryptography - nicolas courtois€¦ · – 1929: taught cryptography to...

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