While al-Kindī was describing the invention of cryptanalysis, Europeans were still struggling with the basics of cryptography.

One of the most intrepid plans for stealing keys was concocted by Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond and a member of Naval Intelligence during the war. He suggested crashing a captured German bomber in the English Channel, close to a German ship. The German sailors would then approach the plane to rescue their comrades, whereupon the aircrew,

British planes would lay mines in a particular location, provoking German vessels to send out warnings to other craft. These Enigma encrypted warnings would inevitably contain a map reference, but crucially this map reference would already be known by the British, so it could be used as a crib.

On February 1, as ordered by the Kaiser, Germany instigated unrestricted naval warfare. On February 2, Woodrow Wilson held a cabinet meeting to decide the American response. On February 3, he spoke to Congress and announced that America would continue to remain neutral, acting as a peacemaker, not a combatant.

Despite the combined efforts of the Association, amateur treasure hunters and professional cryptanalysts, the first and third Beale ciphers have remained a mystery for over a century, and the gold, silver and jewels have yet to be found.

Before the overhaul of the postage system in the mid-1800s, sending a letter cost about a shilling for every hundred miles, beyond the means of most people. However, newspapers could be posted free of charge, and this provided a loophole for thrifty Victorians. Instead of writing and sending letters, people began to use pinpricks to spell out a

The correct use of a strong cipher is a clear boon to sender and receiver, but the misuse of a weak cipher can generate a very false sense of security.

It has been argued, albeit controversially, that Bletchley Park’s achievements were the decisive factor in the Allied victory. What is certain is that the Bletchley codebreakers significantly shortened the war.

The mixed blessings of radio—ease of communication and ease of interception—were brought into sharp focus at the outbreak of the First World War. All sides were keen to exploit the power of radio, but were also unsure of how to guarantee security. Together, the advent of radio and the Great War intensified the need for effective encryption.