What is Atbash Cipher?
The Atbash Cipher is a classical substitution cipher where each letter of the alphabet is mapped to its reverse, so the first letter (A) becomes the last letter (Z), the second letter (B) becomes the second last letter (Y), and so on.
History of Atbash Cipher
The Atbash Cipher is one of the oldest known ciphers and has its origins in ancient Hebrew. It was originally used in the Bible for certain encryptions and has been a subject of study in classical cryptography.
Principles of Atbash Cipher
The principle behind the Atbash Cipher is simple letter substitution. The alphabet is written in reverse order and each letter of the plaintext is replaced with the corresponding letter in the reversed alphabet.
How to Encode Using Atbash Cipher
Encoding a message using the Atbash Cipher involves replacing each letter of the plaintext with its corresponding letter in the reversed alphabet. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Write down the alphabet in normal order.
- Write the alphabet in reverse order beneath it.
- Replace each letter of the plaintext with its reverse alphabet counterpart.
How to Decode Using Atbash Cipher
Decoding a message that was encoded using the Atbash Cipher is the same process as encoding. Simply replace each letter of the ciphertext with its corresponding letter in the reversed alphabet.
Example of Atbash Cipher
Here is an example to illustrate how the Atbash Cipher works:
Plaintext: HELLO
Ciphertext: SVOOL