View source for Cryptanalytic computer

{{Short description|Computer used for cryptanalysis}}
{{Expand German}}
{{one source |date=April 2024}}
[[File:UNIVAC 1101 "Atlas" cryptanalytic installation.jpg|right|thumbnail|[[UNIVAC 1101|ATLAS]] ]]
A '''cryptanalytic computer''' is a [[Computer|computer]] designed to be used for [[Cryptanalysis|cryptanalysis]], which nowadays involves massive statistical analysis and multiple trial decryptions that since before [[Social:World War II|World War II]]  are possible only with automated equipment.  Polish cryptanalysts designed and built automated aids in their work on [[Enigma machine|Enigma]] traffic. Arguably, the first modern computer (digital, electronic, and somewhat programmable) was built for cryptanalytic work at [[Organization:Bletchley Park|Bletchley Park]] (the [[Engineering:Colossus computer|Colossus]]) during the war. More modern computers were important after World War II, and some machines (like the [[Cray-1]]) are reported{{according to whom|date=March 2012}} to have had machine instructions hardwired in at the request of NSA.

Computers continue to be important in cryptanalysis well into the 21st century. NSA, in fact, is said to have the largest number of installed computers on the planet. Whether this is true in an age of [[Company:Google|Google]] computer farms and such is doubtful but remains publicly unknown.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gladwin |first=Lee A. |date=2007-10-08 |title=Bulldozer: A Cribless Rapid Analytical Machine (RAM) Solution to Enigma and its Variations |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01611190701506022 |journal=Cryptologia |language=en |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=305–315 |doi=10.1080/01611190701506022 |s2cid=45817948 |issn=0161-1194|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== See also ==
* Bomba (cryptography)
* Bombe
* [[Engineering:Colossus computer|Colossus computer]]
* Deep crack
* [[FROSTBURG]]
* IBM 7950 Harvest

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Cryptographic attacks]]



{{Sourceattribution|Cryptanalytic computer}}