AtDtDA(28): Italian Ciphers

[Dave Monroe]

   "'And another peculiar thing,' Bevis regarding with suspicion
Theign's form receding into the smoky establishment, 'he has me
working on Italian ciphers.  They are supposed to be our allies, are
they not?'" (AtD, Pt. IV, p. 800)


"And another peculiar thing"

And another ... and another ... and another ...


"Italian ciphers"

The Alberti Cipher was the first ever Polyalphabetic Cipher....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberti_cipher

The Vigenère Cipher is one of the truly great breakthroughs in the
development of cryptography. This section explains how the cipher
works and why it is so strong compared to all other ciphers that
preceded it. The birth of the cipher can be traced back to the work of
the Italian genius Leon Alberti....

http://www.simonsingh.net/The_Black_Chamber/vigenere_cipher.html

Example of a Cipher Disc, and a Description of the difference between
the Alberti Cipher and the Vigenère Cipher

http://cs-exhibitions.uni-klu.ac.at/index.php?id=281

A hopeless struggle: Austro-Hungarian cryptology during World War I
Cryptologia,  Oct 2000  by Schindler, John R

The First World War was the first signals intelligence war. Essential
features of signals intelligence familiar to us today originated in
the epic struggles of 1914-1918. The study of the role played by
intelligence in World War I provides a cautionary tale of the
strengths and limitations of signals intelligence. At the outset, a
troubling question presents itself: Why are the contributions of the
most successful cryptologic effort of World War I, that of the
Habsburg Empire, the least known of all the major belligerents?

[...]

Yet throughout the Habsburg Empire's last war, its cryptologic effort
indeed was outstanding. Besides France, Austria-Hungary was the only
European power to possess a standing military codebreaking service in
1914....

[...]

Much of the success enjoyed by the Dechifferdienst can be attributed
to the talents of Maximilian Ronge....

[...]

Ronge's codebreakers were able to prove their mettle against a new
adversary that summer when the Italian front opened up in May 1915.
Rome's cryptologic ability was limited, especially when compared to
Vienna's skilled service, and the Italians were rarely able to hide
their intentions from Ronge's codebreakers. Indeed, at the outset the
Italian Army in the field seldom relied on codes at all; radio
transmissions in clear were common, even between high-ranking
generals. Italian ciphers in 1915 were usually quickly broken anyway,
sometimes due to Ronge's prewar espionage efforts. None of the 11
Italian offensives launched futilely on the Isonzo river from June
1915 to August 1917 was ever a surprise; in every case
Austro-Hungarian intelligence, usually cryptologic, betrayed Italian
intentions (in one case the new, "improved" Italian cipher was solved
in only 38 hours). Indications of Italian cavalry divisions on the
move were the surest sign that an offensive was imminent. The four
Isonzo battles initiated by the Italians in 1915, all costly failures,
were compromised beforehand by poor communications security. In every
case, the Habsburg forces holding the Isonzo line were granted
sufficient warning to be ready when the Italians went over the top....

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3926/is_200010/ai_n8913064/pg_4

Cf. ...

"'You just had a whole conversation in clear?'" (AtD, Pt. IV, p. 795)

http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0803&msg=125308


"'Another of his elaborate games no doubt.'"

Both Theign's AND Pynchon's, no doubt ...


"the brain centers which took care of such matters"

Your Brain and its Buzz

Scientists are fairly confident, however, that caffeine's most famous
effect—that of excitation and heightened awareness—is understood....

http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/caffeine2#A1
http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/caffeine