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NSA Publication Indices Declassified
Schneier is reporting that a 3 year old freedom of information act request has finally come to fruition showing us indices from the NSA Technical Journal, Cryptographic Quarterly, Crytologic Spectrum, and Cryptologic Almanac. From the article: "The request took more than three years for them to process and declassify -- sadly, not atypical -- and during the process they asked if he would accept the indexes in lieu of the tables of contents pages: specifically, the cumulative indices that included all the previous material in the earlier indices. He agreed, and got them last month. Consider these bibliographic tools as stepping stones. If you want an article, send a FOIA request for it. Send a FOIA request for a dozen. There's a lot of stuff here that would help elucidate the early history of the agency and some interesting cryptographic topics."
I think there is a mistake... "Key to the Extraterrestrial Messages" and "Cranks, Nuts and Screwballs" are really part of the same title: "Cranks, Nuts and Screwballs: Key to the Extraterrestrial Messages"
"It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance." - Thomas Sowell
Actually, it's not.
0 01.htm
0 06.htm
Here's a link to Crank, Nuts, and Screwballs:
https://www.cia.gov/csi/kent_csi/docs/v09i3a09p_0
"Key to the Extraterrestrial Messages" hasn't been declassified. However, in a different paper, "The Intelligence Revolution and the Future", the CIA has this to say:
"Should project SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) ever receive a signal from outer space, there will be yet another role for intelligence services, not in arming the lasers, but in trying to decode the messages."
You can see this link for that quote: https://www.cia.gov/csi/kent_csi/docs/v37i4a04p_0
It looks like they got the messages, AND THEY FOUND THE KEY TO DECODE THEM!
[cue 50's theremin music]
WooOOoooOOOooo-ooooOooooooOOOoooo..
Some titles are obviously encrypted, such as:
"Extraterrestrial Intelligence",
"Key to the Extraterrestrial Messages"
which, when decyphered are:
"IT lie alters electing Rex* in Terrae#",
"Relax, see eager tits stroke thy master"
* Rex = latin for King
# Terrae = latin for Earth
One is obviously describing the manipulation of the electoral process and the other describes the appropriate response.
Your analysis makes the mistake of assuming that there's only one enemy (or "potential opponent", if you prefer that term). You also underestimate the value of doubt.
Even if nations A, B, and C know your secret, there's still D thru Z that don't unless you publish it. Furthermore, A, B and C may not know for sure that they know your secret until you confirm it by publishing. Confirming it tells them not only your secret, but it also tells them that the channel by which they obtained it originally is reliable. At least, assuming you're not just publishing the phony secret that you already know they've obtained, in order to "confirm" a tainted channel.
-- Alastair