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NSA's History of Communications Security — For Your Eyes, Too

Posted by timothy on from the as-long-as-it-passes-through-ft-meade dept.

Phil Sp. writes "Government Attic, those fine investigative pack rats, have outdone themselves this time. Just posted: a declassified NSA document entitled A History of Communications Security, Volumes I and II: The David G. Boak Lectures [PDF] from 1973 and 1981. This is an absolutely fascinating look into how the NSA viewed (views?) communications security and touches on all sorts of topics, including public key crypto, economics, DES, tamper-resistance, etc. It was seemingly from a collection of lectures to new employees. The first 85 pages are heavily redacted but the remaining 80 or so are largely intact. It even concludes with a cryptogram puzzle for the reader!"

4 of 52 comments (clear)

  1. What I heard a while back by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    The NSA uses ---------- to monitor ------------- by ----------- and ------------ through a network of ------------. It was really pretty interesting.

  2. The solution: by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 4, Funny

    It even concludes with a cryptogram puzzle for the reader

    The answer?
    FRANK SHOEMAKER WOULD CALL THIS NOISE.

    1. Re:The solution: by Darth_brooks · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wrong answer, Hans. Care to try for double jeopardy?

      It reads: ALWAYS DRINK YOUR OVALTINE

      Duh.

      --
      There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
  3. Dan Brown by Arancaytar · · Score: 3, Funny

    It even concludes with a cryptogram puzzle for the reader!"

    Are you sure you didn't pick up Digital Fortress by mistake? :P