Cryptex

CRYPTEX

Most of Leonardo Da Vinci's unbuilt inventions had never been studied or even named. A "Cryptex" is a device which uses the science of cryptology to protect information written on the contained scroll or codex.

Da Vinci had been a cryptology pioneer although he was seldom given credit. Leonardo Da Vinci had invented one of the first rudimentary forms of public key encryption centuries ago. Thy cryptex had been Da Vinci's solution to the dilemma of sending secure messages over long distances. In the old times, anyone wanting to convey secret information had to write in a letter and trust it to a messenger. Unfortunately, if a messenger suspected that the letter might contain valuable information, he could make far more money selling the information to adversaries than he could for delivering the letter properly.

Many great minds in history had invented cryptologic solutions to the challenge of data protection. Julius Caesar devised a code-writing scheme called the Caesar box; Mary, Queen of Scots created a substitution cipher & sent secret communiques from prison and the brilliant Arab scientist Abu Yusuf Al-Kindi protected his secrets with an ingeniously conceived polyalphabetic substitution cipher. Da Vinci, however implemented mathematics for a mechanical solution. This device was a portable container that could safeguard letters, maps, diagrams, anything at all. Once information was sealed inside, only the person with the correct password could open it.

A cryptex works much the same as a bicycle's combination lock. If you align the dials in the proper position, the lock slides open.

Information was written on a scroll of papyrus which was then rolled around a vial of vinegar. If anyone tried to break or force the cryptex apart, the vial would break and the papyrus would be dissolved by the vinegar. By the time anyone extracted the secret message, it would be a glob of meaning-less pulp.