Caesar Cipher
Dublin Core
Title
Caesar Cipher
Subject
Caesar Cipher
Description
The Caesar Cipher is one of the oldest ciphers, used by Julius Caesar to communicate with his generals. It works by shifting the alphabet down by a fixed number, or key. Due to the simplicity, it can be broken if the crypanalyst knows that a simple substitution method has been used to get the ciphertext, or the Caesar Cipher itself.
One method of deciphering a Caesar Cipher is by using a brute approach and noting the frequency of each letter used- then comparing those frequencies to a frequency distribution chart of the alphabet. For example, 'E' is the most freqently used letter in the alphabet. Theoretically, if 'G' is the most freqently used letter in the ciphertext, you may able to shift the alphabets so that 'E' aligns with 'G' to decipher the rest of the ciphertext.
One method of deciphering a Caesar Cipher is by using a brute approach and noting the frequency of each letter used- then comparing those frequencies to a frequency distribution chart of the alphabet. For example, 'E' is the most freqently used letter in the alphabet. Theoretically, if 'G' is the most freqently used letter in the ciphertext, you may able to shift the alphabets so that 'E' aligns with 'G' to decipher the rest of the ciphertext.
Creator
Julius Caesar
Source
https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/c/Caesar_cipher.htm
Publisher
Cs.mcgill.ca
Date
44 B.C.
Format
.JPEG
Language
English
Type
Cipher
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Cipher
Collection
Citation
Julius Caesar, “Caesar Cipher,” Ciphers and Encryption, accessed April 26, 2024, https://crypto.omeka.net/items/show/11.