[Cryptography] An historical document.

Ray Dillinger bear at sonic.net
Sun Sep 11 00:35:57 EDT 2016



In my long sift through the Friedman Files, I came across this
gem, dated 16 August 1937, which may very well signal the beginnings
of the modern era of cryptography and security.  I thought I'd share
it with any Pre-WWII cryptography buffs in the audience.

Historical Notes:  At this time the Coast Guard Cryptanalytical
Unit headed by Mrs. Friedman was in the news a lot because they
were daily breaking ciphers by rumrunners (still active 4 years
after the repeal of prohibition) and occasional human-trafficking
operations.  William Friedman himself was at that time chief
cryptanalyist of the Signals Intelligence Service working for the
War Department.  Joseph N. Wenger, who sent the memo, was Deputy
Director of the Armed Forces Security Agency.  He later went on to
become a Rear-Admiral of the Navy and vice director of the
National Security Agency.

The publicity Mrs. Friedman's exploits attracted seems to have
been a concern for Wenger with respect to keeping confidential
the first whiff of something entirely new and unprecedented in
the field of cryptanalysis.

... Something which has had a PROFOUND effect in shaping the
present in which we find ourselves.

==================================================

Ref ID: A72632

Navy Department
Office of Chief of Naval Operations
Washington

(in reply refer to Initials and No. OP-20-GY)   16 Aug 1937.

Memorandum for 20A:

  1.  I have just learned through Mr. Friedman, head of Army
Intelligence Section, that the Coast Guard Intelligence Division
has been equipped with I.B.M. Tabulating Equipment for Cryptana-
lytical purposes.

  2.  The idea of applying this machinery to cryptanalysis
originated in the Communication Security Group of the Navy and
was revealed in confidence to Friedman.  The latter obviously
passed it on to his wife who is head of the Coast Guard Crypt-
analytical Unit.

  3.  The application of Tabulating Machinery, and in fact
any machinery, to cryptanalysis represents the greatest advance
we have made in this field in recent years.  It is in my opinion
an important weapon of national defense which if revealed to
foreign nations might deprive us of a great advantage in time
of war.

  4.  In view of the extensive publicity given to the Coast
Guard cryptanalytical activities I believe that immediate steps
should be taken to inform responsible authorities of both the
Army and Coast Guard that the Navy considers information per-
taining to the application of machinery to cryptanalysis is a
matter of national defense and should be withheld from disclosure
under provisions of the Espionage Act of 15 June 1917.  It might
also be well to take similar action with respect to the Inter-
National Business Machine Company through their representative
here in Washington.

  5.  I have taken it upon myself to present the foregoing
views to Friedman this morning and request that prompt action
be taken to give this action official backing.

 Respectfully, (signature) J.N. WENGER.

================================================

There you have it my friends.  That's the US Government first
noticing the possibility of using automatic machinery for
cryptanalysis.  1937.  Just two years later WWII would break
out and make it really really important to have noticed that.

It was declassified and approved for release by the NSA on
September 18 2013, pursuant to Executive Order 13526.

				Bear


**
PS.  The Friedman Files are available as a torrent.  Reading them
is a lot of fun if you like historical primary sources.

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:5de4d39cf70f65a885093980292f8036200bf951&dn=FriedmanPapers&tr=udp%3a%2f%2ftracker.coppersurfer.tk%3a6969&tr=udp%3a%2f%2ftracker.leechers-paradise.org%3a6969&tr=udp%3a%2f%2fexodus.desync.com%3a6969&tr=udp%3a%2f%2fopen.demonii.com%3a1337


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