Cryptanalist

[soxx]

As a former US Army crippie, I may have an advantage here. 10 years experience, all in nother languages but still member my english.
Are there any other USASA types here?


Oooops. mispelled cryptanalyst!!

[Angie]

hi

I dont even know what USASA is; the closest i would have come would be as a secretary -- i have "decoded" some pretty bad handwriting. and i would always say 'after decoding your handwriting i feel qualified to work for the government decoding sercret messages!!!" (very few of the bosses i'm referring to found the comment as funny as i did!) oh well!

happy solving!

[abra]

I just mentioned to my son, that I think some of you people should work for the government, because you are so AMAZING.

I have an older computer, dial-up connection, and an old brain, but even if my connection was blazing, and my computer was brand new, I wouldn't have a chance.

I look at your scores, and you know who you are , and I know I'm seeing genius.

[opallady]

ABRA, my husband has a theory that the government is watching this site for recruits and will one day whisk at least some of us away to break codes in some back room somewhere. I hope not as I would get claustrophobic. Meanwhile, check out "Help for newcomers" in the main forum, currently on page 2, and treat yourself to DSL.

[Altoid701]

A friend of mine keeps telling me I need to join one of the acronym agencies and do cryptography. I'm sure the benefits are great, but I don't think it's a job for me...

[bansaisequoia]

Boring

I'd do that job in a heartbeat. My jobs have always been too exciting. That's why I'm on blood pressure meds today. This sounds wonderfully boring. Where do I sign up???

[sonofcarc]

I have read that one of the British spook agencies secretly sponsored a newspaper cryptogram contest between the wars, and recruited the winners.

As for current recruitment -- when he was in high school, my son went to a two-week summer program for math and science geeks. Participants signed up for one of a half-dozen major courses, one of which was Principles of
Cryptanalysis. When I looked back over the program, I saw that the NSA was one of the sponsors. I have no doubt whatever that if you took that course and did well enough, you got a feeler afterward offering you a fat scholarship in exchange for a period of indentured servitude after graduation.

(My son took Chaos Theory instead.)

[justplayin]

From the FAQ:

"Cryptograms have been used as a means of protecting sensitive information for thousands of years, though today computers and more advanced cryptographical methods have made simple substitution cyphers much less practical. Still, they live on in newspapers and puzzle books as a popular form of brain exercise."

Are cryptograms like the ones on this site still practical for protecting information after all?