QCFW OFQFO: R KFIC MCCX GKZJX RX HKC PRDCG ZP HKO JFW QCBFWHOCXH F GHFHCOCXH ZP

Question

QCFW OFQFO: R KFIC MCCX GKZJX RX HKC PRDCG ZP HKO JFW

QCBFWHOCXH F GHFHCOCXH ZP HKC FQELHFXH NCXCWFD HKFH

UZL FWC HKC OZHKCW ZP PRIC GZXG JKZ KFIC QRCQ

NDZWRZLGDU ZX HKC PRCDQ ZP MFHHDC. R PCCD KZJ JCFA FXQ

PWLRHDCGG OLGH MC FXU JZWQG ZP ORXC JKRSK GKZLDQ

FHHCOBH HZ MCNLRDC UZL PWZO HKC NWRCP ZP F DZGG GZ

ZICWJKCDORXN. MLH R SFXXZH WCPWFRX PWZO HCXQCWRXN HZ

UZL HKC SZXGZDFHRZX HKFH OFU MC PZLXQ RX HKC HKFXAG ZP

HKC WCBLMDRS HKCU QRCQ HZ GFIC. R BWFU HKFH ZLW

KCFICXDU PFHKCW OFU FGGLFNC HKC FXNLRGK ZP UZLW

MCWCFICOCXH FXQ DCFIC UZL ZXDU HKC SKCWRGKCQ OCOZWU

ZP HKC DZICQ FXQ DZGH FXQ HKC GZDCOX BWRQC HKFH OLGH MC

UZLWG HZ KFIC DFRQ GZ SZGHDU F GFSWRPRSC LBZX HKC FDHFW

ZP PWCCQZO. F. DRXSZDX

HANDS-ON PROJECTS Project 8-1 In this project you decrypt a letter-substitution cipher. To complete this project, you should have a pencil, paper, and some time. You may want to work as a class or in a team so you can more efficiently analyze possible solutions. This type of cipher appears regularly in puzzle books, but this simple cipher provides an excellent chance to understand how more complex ciphers are constructed and how they can be decrypted given patience. Use the hints given in the chapter text about letter and word frequency as you attack this problem. Remember that having a longer message is helpful because it gives you more data to analyze and test your theories as you work out which letter stands for which other letter. For this cipher, each letter represents a single, different letter of the alphabet. Word breaks in the plaintext have been preserved. The ciphertext follows:

Explanation / Answer

We first calculate the character frequency here and match it with the English letter frequency. The result obtained is as follows :-

DEAR MADAM: I HAVE BEEN SHOWN IN THE FILES OF THM WAR
DEPARTMENT A STATEMENT OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL THAT
YOU ARE THE MOTHER OF FIVE SONS WHO HAVE DIED
GLORIOUSLY ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE. I FEEL HOW WEAK AND
FRUITLESS MUST BE ANY WORDS OF MINE WHICH SHOULD
ATTEMPT TO BEGUILE YOU FROM THE GRIEF OF A LOSS SO
OVERWHELMING. BUT I CANNOT REFRAIN FROM TENDERING TO
YOU THE CONSOLATION THAT MAY BE FOUND IN THE THANKS OF
THE REPUBLIC THEY DIED TO SAVE. I PRAY THAT OUR
HEAVENLY FATHER MAY ASSUAGE THE ANGUISH OF YOUR
BEREAVEMENT AND LEAVE YOU ONLY THE CHERISHED MEMORY
OF THE LOVED AND LOST AND THE SOLEMN PRIDE THAT MUST BE
YOURS TO HAVE LAID SO COSTLY A SACRIFICE UPON THE ALTAR
OF FREEDOM. A. LINCOLN

Total number of keys calculated is 4225

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