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Schneier on Security · October 5, 2026 · On the brief until October 19, 2026

Another Historic Cipher Falls to AI

HistoryCybersecurity
THE AI ANGLE
Deciphering an 1809 coded message

Researchers used AI to break an 1809 cipher written by Napoleon's nephew. The event demonstrates that modern neural models can quickly pull statistical patterns out of historical ciphers. This automated pattern extraction reduces the time needed to read older encrypted records.

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THE TEACHING ANGLE
Classes can discuss whether AI introduces new cryptanalysis techniques or merely speeds up statistical work that specialists could already do decades ago.

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