A special National Cipher Challenge for extraordinary times › Forums › Bureau of Security and Signals Intelligence Forum › Challenge 7
Tagged: hint
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14th May 2020 at 11:40 pm #48275Inactive
I have tried and think that I’ve done the first part of it however I can’t find a way to finish it off. Will there be any hints before the first deadline?
[Post again with more details of what you have done, and I will see if there is something useful I can say. We don’t usually give hints before the first deadline though. Harry]
14th May 2020 at 11:47 pm #48276Inactive[OK, read that. I can’t say much, but you are on the right track, and it should just take some concentrated effort! Harry]
15th May 2020 at 8:59 am #4827710degrees-adminKeymasterYes! Finally got it. Surprisingly, 7B was easier than I’d thought it to be. Initially had some confusion but figured it out eventually.
15th May 2020 at 9:48 am #4827810degrees-adminKeymasterIf anybody needs some cribs for 7A then this case file image may be quite useful: https://2020se.cipherchallenge.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/hs2-185-enlarge.jpg
15th May 2020 at 9:50 am #48279InactiveHarry I am stuck on part B I have worked out that it is [Edited by Harry] but cant work out the [Edited by Harry] part. Could you give a clue as to what type of [Edited by Harry] it is?
[I am afraid I can’t, but you are doing well! Keep going. Harry]
15th May 2020 at 9:50 am #4828010degrees-adminKeymasterI wonder if the final sentence of 7A is some kind of clue, but how???
15th May 2020 at 4:15 pm #4828610degrees-adminKeymasterWhy is everyone talking about the final sentence of 7A? it reads: ‘I leave it to you to decipher.’ I don’t see anything wrong with that or how that could be used as a clue. Harry please help!
[I think they mean the penultimate sentence! Harry]
15th May 2020 at 4:35 pm #48288InactiveHarry, please could you explain how two different ciphers could be used in combination?
[Sure: To make it harder to break the message you first encode it with one cipher, then encode the result with a different one. If you did that using two Caesar shift ciphers you would end up with the same thing as a single Casesar shift (shift by 3, then shift by 4 is the same as shift by 7) so that is no good. Enciphering twice with a keyword cipher is also the same thing as a single encryption, though usually by a rather complicated keyword. Using a transposition cipher and then another one would also just be the same as using a single transposition cipher. BUT, if you combine some form of substitution with some form of anagramming, you get something nastier! Good, huh? Harry]
15th May 2020 at 4:46 pm #4828910degrees-adminKeymasterHelp please!
15th May 2020 at 4:55 pm #48290InactiveAmazing puzzle Harry really enjoyed doing 7A, however after deciphering the […] cipher on 7B to get an expected monogram frequency, the next cipher to decipher is unwilling to produce anything readable. I have a feeling I’m going on the complete wrong track.
15th May 2020 at 6:04 pm #4829710degrees-adminKeymasterCan we have a hint?
15th May 2020 at 6:28 pm #48310InactiveYes, please may we have a hint, Harry?
15th May 2020 at 6:28 pm #4831110degrees-adminKeymasterI cannot believe this. Even I who wrecked her brain for 6 days on 6B, could do 7B in less than 10 minutes, the biggest hint is that 7B (and 7A) are rather easy for Challenge 7.
16th May 2020 at 1:38 pm #48316Inactive@Madness Ha! Another leader whose name was spelt incorrectly! Maybe we should address our glorious keymaster as “Hrarny” from now on?
16th May 2020 at 5:56 pm #4831810degrees-adminKeymasterHarry, it has been past the first deadline so an easy-to-understand direct hint for 7B would be much appreciated!
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