That one partial solution was not completely correct but instead suggested information about the cipher’s construction. “By luck, we discovered that (Zodiac) split it into three pieces and rearranged the message in a predictable diagonal pattern in the first two pieces.” When the words ended at the right side of the text block the diagonal message would continue in the next line at the left side. “Just one very partial solution, in a sea of 650,000 cipher variations I was running,” David added. Even finding the right haystack to search in was lucky.” Interestingly, only azdecrypt was able to find the fragments of the complete solution. “David and I both ran these through azdecrypt and zkdecrypto respectively. “My main contribution here was actually enumerating many possible reading directions through the cipher, in total over 650,000,” Sam explained. Studying the Zodiac’s 340 cipher, Sam identified and collected information about variations in the cipher text, which ultimately proved to be the key to cracking the cipher. Van Eycke created AZdecrypt, described by David as “a fast and powerful cipher solver,” and a modified version of this software helped Van Eycke and entrepreneur Louie Helm set a world record for deciphering of a bigram substitution of the shortest cipher length. From his home in Flanders, Belgium, computer programmer Jarl Van Eycke has worked online with David Oranchak in the United States, and Sam Blake in Melbourne, Australia.ĭavid Oranchak, Sam Blake, and Jarl Van Eycke.Īs members of Mike Morford’s forum at, the trio shared information, examined possible decryption methods, and searched for any clue which could crack the Zodiac’s three unsolved ciphers. The mystery was finally solved with the collaborative efforts of three individuals in different countries across the globe. I soon learned the incredible story behind the solution, a story about the pursuit of a seemingly random clue in a mundane search of data. I believed that David would not make such claims if he could not back them up with clear evidence, so I was instantly intrigued by the thought that such evidence was obviously forthcoming, and I was not disappointed. His website has been a valuable resource for anyone seeking information about the ciphers.įor these and other reasons, I was not immediately skeptical when I received a message from David on the morning of Saturday, December 5th, which read: “I and two other programmers have a solution for the 340 cipher. He always provides a fair assessment of proposed solutions and encourages people to bring new ideas to the discussion. I often receive emails from people who claim to have solved the ciphers and I always refer them to David for his examination and conclusions. A computer programmer, David’s approach to the ciphers was refreshing and his analysis was informative. Several years ago, I came to rely on David Oranchak for guidance when trying to understand the many complex issues surrounding the Zodiac’s ciphers. One learns not to get too excited about such claims in order to avoid the inevitable disappointment. The result is immediate skepticism whenever someone declares that they have unlocked the secrets of a Zodiac cipher. Every amateur codebreaker is certain that their solution is correct but the evidence debunks their claims. Over the years, I have heard many rumors about some break in the case and proposed solutions to the Zodiac’s unsolved ciphers. Written by Michael Butterfield / Posted: Decem/ 6:00 AM EST
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |