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AIVD
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Centrale Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst
Dutch Intelligence and Security Agency.
(Website)
(Other)
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ASCII
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American Standard Code for Information Interchange
Character encoding scheme, based on the ordering of
the English alphabet, using 7-bits to describe each letter.
Commonly used to represent text in computers, communication equipment
and other devices that use text.
Most modern encoding schemes are based on extended ASCII.
(Wikipedia)
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AUTOVON
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Automatic Voice Network
Military phone system that was built in the US in 1963.
Designed to survive nuclear attacks, it allowed non-secure voice calls with precedence (piority override).
(Wikipedia)
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BAUDOT
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Method for sending text-based messages over wire or radio links, using a
5-bit digital code. Based on the ITA2 standard. (More...)
(Wikipedia)
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BP
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Bletchley Park
An estate in the town of Bletchley (UK) that was the UK's main
code breaking site during WWII. It is here where, amongst others,
the German Enigma codes were broken.
(More...)
(Wikipedia)
(Website)
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BND
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Bundes-Nachrichten-Dienst
German intelligence service.
(Wikipedia)
(Other)
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CEROFF
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Cipher Equipment Rapid Off-Line
Code name of a NATO evaluation in 1974 to find a replacement for the ageing
KL-7 cipher machine. Examples of CEROFF compatible
equipment are
Aroflex,
RACE (KL-51) and
Picoflex.
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CFB
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Cipher Feedback
A block cipher mode that enhanced ECB mode by chaining together
blocks of cipher text it produces, and operating on plaintext segments
of variable length, less than or equal to the block length.
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CIA
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Central Intelligence Agency
(Wikipedia)
(Website)
(Other)
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CIK
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Crypto Ignition Key
A physical token (usually an electronic device) used to store, transport
and activate the cryptographic keys of electronic cipher machines.
(Wikipedia)
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Cipher
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The algorithm used for the encryption and/or decryption of information.
In common language, 'cipher' is also used to refer to an encryption message,
also known as 'code'.
(Wikipedia)
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COMSEC
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Communications Security
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Covert Operation
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General turm for a 'clandestine operation' legally carried by, or on
behalf of, a government body. In the US, covert operations are typically
carried out by the CIA. The expression 'covert' is sometime expanded to
include secret service work, VIP protection, surveillance and eavesdropping.
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Crib
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Known or suspected part of the plain text
(Wikipedia)
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Cryptanalysis
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Codebreaking
The study of methods for obtaining the meaning of encrypted information,
without access to the secret information that is normally required to do so.
(Wikipedia)
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Crypto
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Cryptography
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Cryptography
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Common expression to refer to cryptographic equipment (cipher machines)
and/or the process of encrypting and decrypting information.
(Wikipedia)
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CTAK
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Cipher Text Auto-Key
Cryptographic logic that uses previous cipher text to generate a key stream.
(Depricated terminology, superceeded by CFB)
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DF
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Direction Finding
When a radio transmitter is on the air for a sufficiently long period
of time, it is possible to trace its position.
This is often done by using directional antennas and plotting the angle
from two or three intercept stations on a map.
It is also possible to a doppler-based antenna system for mobile searches,
and to use a simple field-streng indicator to find transmitters in close
proximity.
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DNVT
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Digital Non-secure Voice Terminal
Unit for unencrypted digital voice communication (phone).
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DSVT
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Digital Subscriber Voice Terminal
Unit for encrypted (secure) voice communication (phone),
such as the American KY-68.
Interoperable (in non-secure mode) with the DNVT.
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DTMF
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Dual Tone Multy-Frequency
In-band tone system used for telecommunication signalling over analog telephone
lines. The system uses 8 different tones, two of which are sent simultaneously. It is mainly used in push-button phones to produce the numbers 0-9 plus '*" and
'#'. Some keypads are capable of sending A, B, C and D as well.
(Wikipedia)
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ECB
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Electronic Codebook
A block cipher mode in which a plaintext block is used directly as input
to the encryption algorithm and the resultant output block is used directly
as cipher text.
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ECCM
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Electronic Counter Counter Measures
Equipment used in secure communications (COMSEC) to protect against
counter measures, such as eavesdropping, interception, direction finding,
etc. Frequency Hopping (FH) is an example of ECCM.
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EKMS
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Electronic Key Management System
NSA-endorsed program
for COMSEC key management.
(Wikipedia)
(Other)
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EMU
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Electronic Message Unit
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ERF
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Electronic Remote fill
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FH
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Frequency Hopping
Method for quicky changing the frequency (channel) during a transmission
in a seemingly random order. This is done as an electronic counter counter
measure (ECCM), to protect the conversation against eavesdropping and
interception by the enemy.
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Fill
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Key-fill
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Filler
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Key fill device
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FK
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Fill Key
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FNBDT
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Future Narrow Band Digital Terminal
Later renamed to Secure Communications Interoperability Protocol (SCIP)
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GC&CS
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Government Code and Cipher School
British code breaking organisation during WWII.
Now called GCHQ.
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GCHQ
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Government Communications Headquarters
British intelligence agency.
(More...)
(Wikipedia)
(Website)
(Other)
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HMGCC
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Her Majesty's Government Communications Centre
British development centre for secure communications, hardware and software.
Mainly aimed at HM Government use, both in the UK and overseas.
Also known as Hanslope Park.
(Wikipedia)
(Website)
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ICOM
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Integrated Communications Security
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INFOSEC
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Information Security
(Wikipedia)
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IVSN
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Initial Voice Switched Network
Analog switched telephone network developed by NATO in the mid-1970s.
It was used for unclassified voice calls throughout NATO and was discontinued
in 2005.
(More...)
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KAK
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Key-auto-key
Cryptographic logic using a previous key to produce a key.
(Depricated terminology, superceeded by OFB)
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KDC
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Key Distribution Center
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KEK
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Key Encryption Key
Special cryptographic key used to send new keys over-the-air (OTAR).
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Key
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A key is a piece of information (parameter) that determines the functional
output of a cryptographic algorithm (cipher).
Without the key, the algorithm can not be used.
(Wikipedia)
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Key-fill
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Loading of a crypto-device with key material. Commonly achieved by using
a so-caller key fill device (or: filler) to distribute key
material. (More...)
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Key fill device
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Device used for the distribution of cryptographic material (keys).
The device is loaded by a Key Generator, and can dump its contents to
a crypto-device or another key fill device. (More...)
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Mixer
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A cipher machine based on the Vernam Cipher principle,
adding a key-stream to the plain-text stream in order to obtain the
cipher-text. The plain-text is derived from the cipher-text by
adding the key-stream once again. The key-stream is often generated
by a random number generator (OTP).
With Teletype, the key-stream was often implemented
as an OTT.
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NATO
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(Wikipedia)
(Website)
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NRO
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National Reconnaissance Office
Responsible for the design, building and operation of the spy satellites
of the US government. Based in Chantilly, Virginia (USA).
(Other)
(Wikipedia)
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NSA
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National Security Agency
America's national cryptologic organisation, responsible for US
information security. Home of the American codemakers and codebreakers.
(More...)
(Other)
(Wikipedia)
(Website)
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OFB
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Output feedback
a block cipher mode that modifies ECB mode to operate on
plaintext segments of variable length lesss than or equal to the
block length.
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OSS
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Office of Strategic Services
Clandestine US organisation for infiltration and sabotage activities
during WWII. The predecessor of the current CIA.
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OTAN
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NATO
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OTAR
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Over-The-Air Rekeying
Common expression for the method of updating encryption keys 'over the
air' in a two-way radio system. It is sometimes called Over-The-Air
Transfer (OTAT).
(Wikipedia)
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OTP
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One time pad
A truely random sequence of numbers or letters, used for the encryption and
decription of a text,of which only two copies exist and that is only used once.
Once the message is exchanged, the two copies of the OTP are destroyed.
(Wikipedia)
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OTT
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One Time Tape
Similar to OTP but based on the use of punched paper tape
in combination with Teletype (TTY, Telex) machines. Cipher machines using
OTT, are often called mixer machines.
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RACE
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Rapid Automatic Cryptographic Equipment
Acronym used for the NATO KL-51 cipher machine
that was used for NATO CEROFF communication alongside
the Philips Aroflex.
RACE was manufactured by
Standard Telefon og Kabelfabrik A/S
in Norway.
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RTTY
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Radio Teletype
TTY over a radio link.
(Wikipedia)
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SC
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Single Channel
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SCIP
|
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Secure Communications Interoperability Protocol
Universal communication protocol which doesn't depend on the bandwidth
of the underlying channel. Existing US secure voice terminals are being
replaced by SCIP or are being made SCIP-compatible.
(More...)
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SECAN
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Military Committee Communications Security & Evaluation Agency (Washington)
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SHAPE
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Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Headquarters of the Allied Command Operations (ACO),
one of NATO's
two strategic military commands.
(Website)
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SIGINT
|
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Signals Intelligence
Intelligence-gathering by interception of signals. This can be communications
(COMINT), other electronic signals (ELINT) or a combination of both.
SIGINT is often related to encypted signals and may involve
cryptanalysis.
(Wikipedia)
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SINCGARS
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Single Ground and Airborne Radio System
Combat Radio Network used by the US Armed Forces
and part of NATO.
(More...)
(Wikipedia)
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SOE
|
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Special Operations Executive
British Special Forces active in clandestine operations behind enemy
lines during WWII.
(Wikipedia)
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Spread Spectrum
|
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An electronic counter counter measure (ECCM), similar to
Frequency Hopping but with much faster hopping over a wider range
of channels, effectively using an entire band and resulting a 'noise'-style
spectrum.
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STE
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Secure Terminal Equipment
A range of systems for secure voice and data communications over a variety
of networks, including PSTN, ISDN and TRI-TAC.
(More..)
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TED
|
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Trunk Encryption Device
Encryption device for bundled (multiplexed) data streams, generally consisting
of voice and (computer) data.
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TEMPEST
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Codename, referring to (the study of) unwanted compromising emanations.
This includes the emission of unintentional and unwanted
intelligence-bearing signals.
If such signals were intercepted and analyzed, they might disclose sensitive
information. In cryptography, the interceptor might be able to reconstruct
(part of) the plain text. (Wikipedia)
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TSK
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Transmission Security Key
Encrypted data for creating an FH pattern.
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TTY
|
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Teletype
Method for sending written (printed) messages over a wire or radio link,
using a 5-bit digital code (mostly BAUDOT).
(Wikipedia)
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Vernam Cipher
|
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Method for obtaining the cipher-text from a plain-text and vice versa,
by adding a key-stream, using module-2 addition
(XOR).
The process can be reversed by adding the key-stream once again,
effectively resulting in a symmetric cipher.
(More...)
(Wikipedia)
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TEK
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Traffic Encryption Key
Cryptographic key used the encryption of messages (traffic).
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XOR
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Exclusive OR
Binary operation that produces a result if exactly one if it inputs is true.
As this process can be reversed by applying it once again, it is often used
in cryptography,
e.g. in the Vernam Cipher.
In mathematics, the XOR operation is called modulo-2 addition.
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ZEROIZE
|
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General expression for deleting the cryptographic keys and other variables
from an encryption device in case of a compromise or seizure.
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