The Coordination Center held a traditional New Year's event for participants in its educational projects. On December 26, an excursion to the Museum of Cryptography was organized for students of Moscow IT classes. The exhibition was dedicated to the past, present and future of cryptography and communication technologies.
Among the museum's exhibits are a unique collection of encryption technology, means of transmitting information and archival documents that help you learn more about the development of cryptography, as well as about the people and inventions that changed the world. And the museum itself is located in the building of the former “Marfinskaya Sharashka” - a special prison in which in the middle of the last century scientists, engineers and linguists worked to create a secret communication personally for Joseph Stalin.
A group of 40 students was assembled on the recommendation of the Center for Technical Education of the Moscow Palace of Pioneers on Sparrow Hills (State Budget Professional Educational Institution “Sparrow Hills”), which the Coordination Center signed a cooperation agreement with in September.
Firstly, participants listened to a lecture on the history of ciphers and their types, as well as algorithms used in the past and present. The lecture continued with a master class on message encryption “Ciphers of the 20th Century”, during which students were told about the only known absolutely secret cipher – the Vernam one, which is a type of “one-time pad” cryptosystem. The cipher is named after telegraph operator Gilbert Vernam, who designed a telegraph apparatus that automatically encoded messages using this method (the key was supplied on a separate tape). The One-Time Pad is considered the most reliable secret communication system. In 1941, the justification for its absolute stability was presented by the Soviet scientist, one of the founders of domestic secret radio and telephone communications, Vladimir Kotelnikov. Participants were asked to encrypt their own message using the Vernam cipher and decipher the secret note of another participant.
Museum staff conducted a quest for students after the master class, during which they had to “decipher the museum” - secret messages were hidden throughout all the halls, which the children had to find, decipher and ultimately collect a common message.
“The students expressed keen interest in the topic of the event and noted that the knowledge they gained would help them decide on their future profession and choose a direction for further development,” Alexander Akimov, teacher-organizer of the Center for Technical Education of the Moscow Palace of Pioneers, said.
At the end of the event, students were treated to a tea party and New Year's gifts from the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ and the project “Study the Internet & Govern It!”
