| code A code is a system of signals or symbols used for communication or a set of instructions for a computer. |
| cryptography The science of secret codes. |
| cipher Any system of hiding the meaning of a message by replacing the original message with a letter. |
| codebook A list of replacement words or phrases in the original message. |
| Caesar-shift substitution cipher A cipher that replaces each letter with three places shifted down the alphabet. There can be up to 25 shifts. |
| decipher To turn a enciphered message back to an original message. |
| encrypt &nsbp; To encipher or encode. |
| ciphertext the message or plaintext after encipherment. |
| private key A key used by a receiver to decrypt messages from a public key system. The private key must remain secret. |
| public key A key used by a sender to encrypt messages of a public system key, which is available to the public. |
| steganography the science of hiding a message physically. |
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substiturion cipher An encryption system in which each letter is replaced with another character, but retains the position within the message. |
| Vignere cipher A polyalphavetic cipher that was made around 1500. It contains 26 seperate cipher alphabets that are Caesar-shifted and determines which cipher alphabet should be used to decode the message. |
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