Here is a template for your new cipher:
[Your Cipher Name]
Encoding:
[Describe how to encode a letter using your cipher]
Decoding:
[Describe how to decode a letter using your cipher]
Key:
[Describe the key needed to use your cipher]
Now try encoding and decoding a sample message with your new cipher! Let me know if you have any other questions. Creating new ciphers can be tricky but is a fun challenge.
Here is a template for your new cipher:
[Your Cipher Name]
Encoding:
[Describe how to encode a letter using your cipher]
Decoding:
[Describe how to decode a letter using your cipher]
Key:
[Describe the key needed to use your cipher]
Now try encoding and decoding a sample message with your new cipher! Let me know if you have any other questions. Creating new ciphers can be tricky but is a fun challenge.
Here is a template for your new cipher:
[Your Cipher Name]
Encoding:
[Describe how to encode a letter using your cipher]
Decoding:
[Describe how to decode a letter using your cipher]
Key:
[Describe the key needed to use your cipher]
Now try encoding and decoding a sample message with your new cipher! Let me know if you have any other questions. Creating new ciphers can be tricky but is a fun challenge.
Here is a template for your new cipher:
[Your Cipher Name]
Encoding:
[Describe how to encode a letter using your cipher]
Decoding:
[Describe how to decode a letter using your cipher]
Key:
[Describe the key needed to use your cipher]
Now try encoding and decoding a sample message with your new cipher! Let me know if you have any other questions. Creating new ciphers can be tricky but is a fun challenge.
Introduction to Binary The binary system is a way of 1011110000011111 representing data using 0s and 1s. This 0010101000100101 system is used by computers to 0101010011111001 0100001001010100 represent all the data it works with. 0010010010101010 0011001011 Decimal System: The number system we use in everyday life is called the decimal system, where we use the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 to represent all of our numbers. In this system, each digit is a power of 10. Digit value
4 3 7 9 103 102 101 100 = 1000 = 100 = 10 = 1 Place value
To compute a number in this system, you would multiply the digit value by the place value, then add them all together. So to represent the number 4379, you would have to compute : (4*1000)+(3*100)+(7*10)+(9*1)=4379.
The binary system follows a similar structure, except for each
digit, you only have 2 values, 0 and 1.
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand Digit value Introduction to Binary 2
To compute a number in this system, you would multiply the digit value by the place value, then add them all together. So to translate the binary number 1001, you would have to compute: (1*8)+(0*4)+(0*2)+(1*1) = 9
To convert this number back to binary, find the largest power of 2 and subtract until your total is 0
9 - ( 1 * 23 ) = 9 - 8 = 1 so 4th digit is 1 22 = 4 > 1 so 3rd digit is 0 21 = 2 > 1 so 2nd digit is 0 1 - ( 1 * 10 ) = 1 - 1 = 0 so 1st digit is 1
So the resulting number is 1001.
Let’s try a few!
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand Introduction to Binary 3
Binary Practice Digit value
Clue! Problems If the decimal value is odd, then the 1st digit must be a 1
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand Ciphers! 7
Activity: Encode and
Decode your own message! Using one of the ciphers we learned about along with the template below, encode your own message. Then decode it to see if your cipher worked! (If you did it right, your message before encoding and after decoding will be the same!)
AB CD E F GH I J K LMNO P QR S TUV WXYZ
*Remember to pick a key, go down to encode, and up to decode!
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand Ciphers! 8
Challenge: Make your own
Cipher! Try to make a new way to encode a message. Make sure your new cipher uses a small key, so that only the people with access to the key know how to use it. Encode and then decode your message to see if your new cipher works!
(If you did it right, your message before encoding and after decoding will be the same!) AB CD E F GH I J K LMNO P QR S TUV WXYZ
*Remember to pick a key, go down to encode, and up to decode!
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand Ciphers! 1
Ciphers! Ciphers are a way of writing a message in a secret way (sort of like a secret language!).
● To encode a message is to translate a normal
message into a coded one. ● To decode a message is to translate a coded message back into normal language
Caesar Cipher: Shifting the alphabet by a number of letters. Positive number: Shift Right Negative number: Shift Left
EXAMPLE 1: Encode, KEY = 3
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P
D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S
H E L L O K H O O R
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand Ciphers! 2 EXAMPLE 2: Encode, KEY = -5 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P
V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K
H E L L O C Z G G J
EXAMPLE 3: Decode, KEY = -5 *use chart from above
V K K G Z A P P L E
Simple Substitution Cipher:
Shifting the alphabet by setting the first few letters to a certain word, then setting the rest of the alphabet with the remaining letters after the word is removed (in alphabetical order).
EXAMPLE 4: Encode, KEY = CODE
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P
C O D E A B F G H I J K L M N P
H E L L O G A K K N Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand Ciphers! 3
Ciphers Practice Problems
1) Use the Caesar Cipher to encode this message:
“CIPHERS ARE COOL!”
*Try filling out this chart with the shift before KEY = 7 encoding the message.
AB CD E F GH I J K LMNO P QR S TUV WXYZ
2) Use the same key as question 1 to decode the message:
“P AVAHSSF HNYLL!” (using Caesar Cipher)
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand Ciphers! 4
Ciphers Practice Problems
3) Use the Simple Substitution Cipher to encode this message:
“CAN YOU CRACK THE CODE?”
*Try filling out this chart KEY = “SHIFT” with the shift before encoding the message.
AB CD E F GH I J K LMNO P QR S TUV WXYZ
4) Use the same key as question 1 to decode the message:
“UQT NSQQWMPFQ RM QRSY QSAT!”
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand ANSWER KEY Ciphers! 5
Ciphers Practice Problems
1) Use the Caesar Cipher to encode this message:
“CIPHERS ARE COOL!”
*Try filling out this chart with the shift before KEY = 7 encoding the message.
AB CD E F GH I J K LMNO P QR S TUV WXYZ
H I J K LMNOP Q R S T UV WXY Z AB C DE F G
J P W O L Y Z H Y L J V V S !
2) Use the same key as question 1 to decode the message:
“P AVAHSSF HNYLL!” (using Caesar Cipher)
I T O T A L L Y A G R E E !
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand ANSWER KEY Ciphers! 6
Ciphers Practice Problems
3) Use the Simple Substitution Cipher to encode this message:
“CAN YOU CRACK THE CODE?”
*Try filling out this chart KEY = “SHIFT” with the shift before encoding the message.
AB CD E F GH I J K LMNO P QR S TUV WXYZ
SH I F TA BCDE G J KLMNOPQR UVWXYZ
I S L YM U I P S I G R C T I M F T ?
4) Use the same key as question 1 to decode the message:
“UQT NSQQWMPFQ RM QRSY QSAT!”
U S E P A S S W O R D S T O
S T A Y S A F E !
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand The Protocol System 1
The Protocol System
The protocol system is a set of steps used to send information over the internet.
Match the layer name to the descriptions below. Then number the
layers from 1 to 4, with 1 being the top layer connected to the
computer and 4 being the bottom layer connected to the internet.
Layers: IP, Application, Hardware, TCP
Layer Order Layer Name Layer Description
Splits information into packets
and numbers them.
Routes packets over internet.
Assigns IP addresses of start
and end to packets.
Converts user’s command into a
message to be sent over the internet.
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand ANSWER KEY The Protocol System 2
The Protocol System
The protocol system is a set of steps used to send information over the internet.
Match the layer name to the descriptions below. Then number the
layers from 1 to 4, with 1 being the top layer connected to the
computer and 4 being the bottom layer connected to the internet.
Layers: IP, Application, Hardware, TCP
Layer Order Layer Name Layer Description
2 TCP Splits information into packets
and numbers them.
4 Hardware Routes packets over internet.
3 IP Assigns IP addresses of start
and end to packets.
Converts user’s command into a
Application message to be sent over the 1 internet.
Created for the Leonard Gelfand Center by Vasudha Srinivasan, downloaded from www.cmu.edu/gelfand Here are some links to activities and information related to the topics discussed in
