Definition

Noun: * The science of analyzing and deciphering codes and ciphers and cryptograms: Cryptanalytics is the field of study and practice focused on breaking secret communication systems without prior knowledge of the key or algorithm used to create them. It involves the systematic analysis of encoded or encrypted messages to discover their hidden meaning.

Usage and Examples

• As a field of study:
  • Modern cryptanalytics relies heavily on advanced mathematics and computational power.
  • Her doctoral thesis made a significant contribution to the field of cryptanalytics.
• As an activity or practice:
  • The team's success was due to their sophisticated cryptanalytics.
  • The agency employed cryptanalytics to intercept and decode the enemy's communications.

Advanced Usage and Notes

• Cryptanalytics is often used synonymously with cryptanalysis. The "-ics" suffix emphasizes it as a systematic science or body of knowledge, while "cryptanalysis" can refer more directly to the process or act of deciphering.
• It is the counterpart to cryptography, which is the science and practice of creating secure codes and ciphers. Together, they form the broader field of cryptology.

Variants and Related Words

• Cryptanalysis (n): The process or practice of analyzing and deciphering codes; often used interchangeably with cryptanalytics.
• Cryptanalyst (n): A person who practices cryptanalysis.
• Cryptologic (adj): Relating to cryptology.
• Cryptography (n): The art of writing or solving codes; the counterpart to cryptanalytics.

Synonyms

• Codebreaking
• Cryptanalysis
• Decipherment (specifically the result or act)

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Cryptographic attack: A method used in cryptanalytics to find a weakness in a cryptographic system.
• Frequency analysis: A common technique in cryptanalytics that studies the frequency of letters or symbols in a ciphertext.
• Plaintext: The original, readable message that cryptanalytics aims to recover from the ciphertext.

Noun

1. the science of analyzing and deciphering codes and ciphers and cryptograms