Cracking one of the most complicated cipher devices ever created -- the Enigma machine -- may not have been what Britain's Mavis Batey envisioned when she studied the German romantic poets at University College London when World War II broke out.. But when she dropped out of school to help with the war effort by becoming a nurse, her German-language skills caught the attention of her superiors, and soon she was asked to train for a more covert kind of duty. The link for this article located at CNET is no longer available. . Mavis Batey, born in 1921, was a pivotal codebreaker in WWII, vital in deciphering the Enigma machine's messages, helping ensure Allied victories. Code Breaking, Enigma Machine, Mavis Batey, Cryptography History. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
Leo Marks, WWII codemaker and codebreaker, and later playwright, has died aged 80. He was chief cryptographer of Special Operations Executive during WWII, having trained as a cryptographer in Bedford when called up for National Service. . . .. Leo Marks, WWII codemaker and codebreaker, and later playwright, has died aged 80. He was chief cryptographer of Special Operations Executive during WWII, having trained as a cryptographer in Bedford when called up for National Service. During his training, The Telegraph reports, he cracked a code that was supposed to be a week-long group project, in an evening. This earned him the label "misfit" and got him sent to the Special Operations Executive, rather than Bletchley Park. One of his achievements during the war was to refine the "one-time-pad." He printed ciphers on silk squares so agents could carry the information more easily across borders. He also stopped the use of well known poems as code keys, replacing them with original works he wrote himself, massively tightening security. Later in the war he was in charge of devising encryption systems for the SAS and the Free French, among others. The link for this article located at TheRegister is no longer available. . Alan Shields, renowned Cold War analyst and spy master, has passed away at 85, honored for his influence on intelligence operations.. Leo Marks, WWII Codebreaker, Intelligence Encryption, Cryptography History. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
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