Venona: Difference between revisions

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imported>Sandy Harris
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  | url = http://www.nsa.gov/venona/
  | url = http://www.nsa.gov/venona/
  | author = National Security Agency
  | author = National Security Agency
  | title = VENONA}}</ref> project was a successful attack on Soviet diplomatic cipher during the [[Cold War]].
  | title = VENONA}}</ref> project was a successful attack on a Soviet diplomatic cipher during the [[Cold War]].


The cipher was a [[one-time pad]], provably perfectly secure (with limitations that are not relevant here) when correctly implemented and used. However, Soviet procedures were flawed; they sometimes re-used keys. This gave the NSA the opening they needed.
The cipher was a [[one-time pad]], provably perfectly secure (with limitations that are not relevant here) when correctly implemented and used. However, Soviet procedures were flawed; they sometimes re-used keys. This gave the NSA the opening they needed.

Revision as of 21:19, 2 August 2008

The NSA Venona [1] project was a successful attack on a Soviet diplomatic cipher during the Cold War.

The cipher was a one-time pad, provably perfectly secure (with limitations that are not relevant here) when correctly implemented and used. However, Soviet procedures were flawed; they sometimes re-used keys. This gave the NSA the opening they needed.

  1. National Security Agency, VENONA