The fancy word for it is “cryptanalysis.”  That’s the study of deciphering encrypted materials without having access to any secret key or other privileged information.  In other words, cracking the code.

 

It might seem like fun to try to read a secret message, but cryptography can also be serious business.  In fact, it has influenced the history of the world.  The most obvious example of this is during times of war. 

 

In the middle of a military engagement, it’s obviously a huge advantage to know what your opponent is going to do next.  That’s where codebreaking can help.  Intelligence officers work to decipher enemy communication (which is usually encrypted in some way so that can only be understood by those who it is intended for) , or intercept other strategic information.  Sometimes it’s as simple as stumbling upon a crumpled up piece of paper with battle plans drawn on it.  Other times it gets a little more complicated.

           

During World War I, the art of codebreaking may have changed the result of the war.  After intercepting the infamous Zimmermann Telegram in 1917, allied forces were able to decode a German message.  The telegram was written by Germany to Mexico, urging the nation to launch a pre-emptive attack on the United States with the promise of German support.  Knowledge of the devious plan persuaded Americans to enter the war and support their European allies.

           

Codebreaking also played a role in World War II.  Allied forces figured out how to decipher Germany’s legendary Enigma machine (which the Nazi forces used to codify many of their top-secret messages).  Many experts believed that the information obtained from this intelligence helped speed up the end of the war by more than a year.  Allied forces also broke some of the Japanese codes, which helped them fight a more effective war in the Pacific.

           

The days of World War II codebreaking are ancient by today’s standards.  During the 1940s, there were no supercomputers, Internet connections, or e-mail messages.  Modern militaries have adjusted to the times, and intelligence officers use more sophisticated techniques than ever before.  But most of today’s codebreakers have nothing to do with the military.  They are computer hackers.

           

A hacker is a computer expert who uses his or her knowledge of programming languages, software, and hardware to manipulate computer networks.  Sometimes a computer hacker is completely malicious, releasing viruses or other harmful codes that cause other computers to “crash” or not work properly.

           

An expert computer hacker might have a more self-serving purpose in mind.  He might break passwords or circumvent computer security to obtain financial information such as credit card numbers.  A computer hacker might “spy” on Internet activity to figure out other ways to take advantage of a user.   Many times, the hacker takes extra precautions to cover up the fact that any wrongdoing has taken place.

           

Fortunately, computer hackers can be good guys too.  They help build security systems that enable business transactions and personal information to be transferred safely over the Internet.  They might even test the security of other Internet sites by intentionally trying to hack into them.

           

The military and other agencies also employ computer hackers for codebreaking and intelligence purposes.  In this modern era, almost everybody communicates and interacts with a computer.  Terrorist groups have even tried to talk to each other through encrypted or disguised e-mail accounts.  Modern codebreakers monitor this suspicious activity, and try to intercept messages that are dangerous to national security.