Definition
Cryptanalysis is the discipline of deciphering a ciphertext without having access to the keytext (Cryptosystem), usually by recovering more or less directly the plaintext or even the keytext used, in cases favorable for the attacker by reconstructing the whole cryptosystem used. This being the worst case possible for the attacked side, an acceptable level of security should rest completely in the key (Kerckhoffs’ and Shannon’s Maximes). “A systematic and exact reconstruction of the encryption method and the key used” (Hans Rohrbach, 1946) is mandatory if correctness of a cryptanalytic break is to be proved, e.g., when a cryptanalyst is a witness to the prosecution.
Applications
Cryptanalysis can be passive, which is the classical case of intercepting the message without giving any hint that this was done, or active, which consists of altering the message...
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Recommended Reading
Bauer FL (1997) Decrypted secrets. In: Methods and maxims of cryptology. Springer, Berlin
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Bauer, F.L. (2011). Cryptanalysis. In: van Tilborg, H.C.A., Jajodia, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cryptography and Security. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5906-5_164
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5906-5_164
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