Glad to have you here. I’m The Chief, head of the Black Chamber and primary coordinator for recreational cryptography generation for this agency.
What is recreational cryptography? Well, if you’ve ever played with the substitution cipher puzzles that appear in some newspapers, then you already have a general idea. If not, then recreational cryptography is the art and craft of creating encrypted messages that the reader tries to solve. This involves learning new crypt systems – how to use them to encrypt and decrypt messages, and how to break them if you don’t have the key. There have been many hundreds of systems created over the centuries, but perhaps closer to 80 or 90 that have gained any level of common acceptance (by the military, governments, diplomatic agencies or hobbyists). One recreational group that I belong to, the American Cryptogram Association, officially recognizes 60 systems (they are not affiliated with The Black Chamber in any way, shape or form). Personally, I am competent in 40 systems, and I’m constantly working to learn “the next one.”
I’d like to welcome you to The Chamber to join us on this quest. If you want to support us, please consider becoming a Patreon.
The Black Chamber 