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From: gts@dmcnh.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.math,net.followup,net.crypt
Subject: Distinguishing a Message from Random Data - Statistical approach
Message-ID: <166@dmcnh.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Nov-84 15:45:26 EST
Article-I.D.: dmcnh.166
Posted: Fri Nov 16 15:45:26 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Nov-84 03:19:34 EST
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+[ The mailer deamon wouldn't eat this, so I'm posting it: ]+

I mentioned that Beale's cipher #3 had been determined to contain a message,
but that it hasn't been cracked.  I got this letter, but could not respond
via mail:

> Subject: Re: Chuq's comments about ESP
> What are the statistical methods for determining the existence of 
> a message?  (I have not studied cryptography very much)
> [tectronix!sharkp!brian(?)]

I must admit that I only know of the existence of such methods.  For
more information there is an excellent Journal you might try, called
_Cryptologia_ (it comes out quarterly):

	Dr. Brian Winkel
	Editor
	Cryptologia
	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
	5500 Wabash Ave.
	Terre Haute, IN  47803

Dr. Winkel, before becoming a mathematics professor at Rose-Hulman, worked
for the National Security Agency (NSA) which is in possesion of more comp-
uter power than any single installation in the free world.  They sit all
day long intercepting messages and trying to decode them (usually success-
fully).  In fact, just mentioning NSA in this letter will probably bring
it to the attention of someone besides just you and me, if you catch my
drift.  Anyway, any specific questions about Cryptology could also be
addressed to Winkle personally, although I'm not sure what result you may
get.

-From the padded terminal of ><..!decvax!ittvax!sii!dmcnh!gts

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