Expository Essay – Chaocipher #1

This was a very well written paper that flowed very well. It think it definitely works in convincing the reader of the cipher’s importance and strength despite never being popularized or even implemented. I also found it very interesting how the message in the biography hasn’t been decrypted, however it would’ve been good to show some examples of attempts at decryption.
I thought that the reasons why this cipher was created was made very clear, along with the steps in trying to popularize it. On the other side the possible permutations of the cipher was not explored in depth and I was left wondering exactly how strong the cipher is. On that note I also found myself wondering if the cipher has ever been subject to successful cryptanalysis, and if so how would one go about it?
I really liked the continuous comparison of this cipher to the enigma, especially when you showed the pros and cons of each cipher.
Overall this paper was very well written, and was very clear in all the parts it covered. Good work!