A Holiday quiz

Jan 4, 2018 · 2 min read

Back in July, we ran a residential taster course for sixth form students. Our next one is on 31st July–2nd August 2018. I set a short quiz as part of the event and I thought it would be fun to share most of it with you over the holiday break. Some of the images and sounds have been culled unacknowledged from the Web; I’ll give full attribution with the answers.

1. Hello

This is a really easy warm-up:
XFMDP NFUPF DTUBT UFSUX PAFSP POFTF WFO

2. I came, I saw, I conquered

Nhsreer, gehpvqner, encrer, snyfvf abzvavohf vzcrevhz, ngdhr, hov fbyvghqvarz snpvhag, cnprz nccryynag.
a. Decode
b. Translate
c. Who wrote it about whom?

3. Blaise (or Giovan) made it harder

MPXSTEEVASP SFQMX VZI RZCUAGCD AQJPF UEP TI QTXCARGV
TTGGGKWGV EPV EPSPAKIF AR OSRA OEAK FWL MPXSTEEVASP
UEP TI JSRFDIF ESTW UWAGMDC KF INWGVJMESP HGVO
XYTLLGJ XJW ERHPKUEVASP GJ OGHGJR GDIELVQFME
LIEZRKIYGK YUMENDC TWWWDXU AR IJICLIT SGEMVCUC
CFH GXJKUMGFGA LLCF MU GFVSMPSFNW FA GXJWV OWEPK

4. Another easy warm-up

XEECSSVIVENATIPYOREVTSEHNUODNIOGMFNAEYPXREST
a. Decode
b. Who wrote it?

5. An old exam question

EODVEDNTAEREEMFTCEADRRDNFQCTPLTSENNTHIEAWIETY
NMRLARIRYUDRFLCONBNVVWREREEEEMFBAESYNEEETTYMM
SONVNASSRIDEAIANBTEEEIAOENSURIULIIETOGRDHHSBA
FEASTSONQEGOPIIAOIOAYEGFUIHPIOAGBGBESNTINSE

6. Scout around for this one

LEAIONATBRMHTSRIEDDTUIBDKRSNBTONANOPTNRSHOEOHBTUBTTILTUWTAATEEDTOGRSUUOALTNSTPMNTIYNNUSAIWSOLWECSENIMSLOOHEIWIOSPGIWBGOEAHOHLTSSCETNAESIOESBWAINIRITOEWTUSNNPOMLTASFNDOSENCTHOYATRFTTEVEIODIOHTEAEEEGNIAANXEDFYOWEEKNGSBRITTSSAACDIUIIHTHTOWGTAELHIUIDHNTHENEALUENUSSABSJSACNNIOINTEONAITNITUGIIVONSPWASLNAOPMORNCUREEOWSRRIEODSSECWNRAYTICHFHIAWASGTEHNDERONSSECPMOLSIHEWLTOTRSTNEROHBHNISSAECRNETAHEPDLNLRRITEPSIOEOILSDNLSTHENTRGURCRTAHAAAICSETSJNNIOTDIRHEAANSAEUCIOOORTTPOTNYOFSCEFAOOTSLCSGNXGNUROODITOODTROREUOOYNAEEHRSEEIEJDLHFDDTMWHSLTIDADIORROOIRITSNOGSACRTEOBFTRRHCUAIYSASENHLOUHEYYGRIUELIICOSIRHCTSHTEFTIODWOSNHXRTTTAFNATSSOTOILDIDH

7. Headline

The headline puzzles by Paul Derthick were a recreation among NSA
staff. Decrypt this set, which appears in James Bamford’s Body of Secrets:

a. YNTS QHABT YBK KJVT NR ORLSJN HCTCYA HQYKJV CYOCMBYNT
b. GXRYK SXRKVWNRNIO YJVONHB NH VH KXASH OAXBBJNHB WNHB
c. KSXXMT, FVTS SVJYMBF CFI EI BNSYYC JTMKEID
d. AXITUL PGGTXLW VGA OCXFT AUMCAL VAGH RXDKQPUR PXDM

8. Enigma

Some time ago, you intercepted the following Enigma message:

AFKMFQUOLVMECYCFHDYOXASYRBZKWMJPBGUJVWSUGSLQUJUUCWUDDSXHYLIFEHTRJHLFQDEYVBRPFLNQOVBILASIAOGFSOKZKRJJWBZNRKDTIVHQEUYFWSHWQLARWQTHONQODUDPRAUATNIYZSXNCWNGOFYKWUFBYIKBPAMXCQJYGMTKVQJOVOEOVVDWKZVBQODORJRTRHTQHOFXDBCWWDZUHEXWFERAMWFJCENASZJCORDJDAOERWHEPSTYFMQWGHMRWLXEBFBLJFBVUHTJBBLDKISIGZYQQIVUIKRSHMOFTUUFTUKHVQMGYPPYYBHLCKTURWJXMALYMZQEUJAUNQIMNONLNXZUEYZFFCPEKHOHUNQLOYZXEXDRELBLBEJDCKKZPFKMXHCARYKRUXYBBKTXIOUXYYSGQSHXAONXLNSZANYPDOGJDNJSXZNFZTGYZZGCMSOYIVDKUWJHJNDTBKZIOTYXKMYJXGFPVWT

You have just captured an enemy agent. Under interrogation, she claims that your message decrypts to:

IMETATRAVELLERFROMANANTIQUELANDWHOSAIDTWOVASTANDTRUNKLESSLEGSOFSTONESTANDINTHEDESERTNEARTHEMONTHESANDHALFSUNKASHATTERDVISAGELIESWHOSEFROWNANDWRINKLEDLIPANDSNEEROFCOLDCOMMANDTELLTHATITSSCULPTORWELLTHOSEPASSIONSREADWHICHYETSURVIVESTAMPDONTHESELIFELESSTHINGSTHEHANDTHATMOCKDTHEMANDTHEHEARTTHATFEDANDONTHEPEDESTALTHESEWORDSAPPEARMYNAMEISOZYMANDIASKINGOFKINGSLOOKONMYWORKSYEMIGHTYANDDESPAIRNOTHINGBESIDEREMAINSROUNDTHEDECAYOFTHATCOLOSSALWRECKBOUNDLESSANDBARETHELONEANDLEVELSANDSSTRETCHFARAWAY

Is she is telling the truth?