Explore ciphers that rearrange characters without changing them.
Unlike substitution ciphers, transposition ciphers don't change the characters themselves - they only rearrange their positions. The plaintext letters remain the same, but their order is scrambled according to a systematic rule. These were commonly used in ancient and medieval cryptography.
Text is written in a zigzag pattern across multiple rails, then read off row by row.
Plaintext is written in rows, then columns are rearranged according to a keyword.
Ancient Greek cipher using a rod of specific diameter. Text written around the rod.
Write text in a grid, then read off following a specific route pattern.
Variation of columnar transposition handling repeated letters in the key differently.
Apply columnar transposition twice for increased security.
| Cipher | Key Type | Security | Era | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rail Fence Cipher | Number (rails) | Very Low | Ancient | O(n) |
| Columnar Transposition | Text (Keyword) | Low | 1800s | O(n) |
| Scytale Cipher | Number (diameter) | Very Low | ~400 BC | O(n) |
| Route Cipher | Route pattern | Low | 1900s | O(n) |
| Myszkowski Transposition | Text (Keyword) | Low | 1902 | O(n) |
| Double Transposition | Two keywords | Medium | WWI & WWII | O(n) |