Frequency Analysis Simulator

The purpose of this project is to decrypt a monoalphabetic substitution cipher using frequency analysis and find the optimal algorithm and conditions of decrypting a Vigenere cipher.

Methods of Cryptanalysis

• Frequency Analysis
• Kasiski Examination
• Freidman Test
• Kerckhoff’s Method
• Dictionary attack using Words and WordNet API

Usage

1. Clone this repo with git clone https://github.com/varunsingh87/Frequency-Analysis-Simulator (for help see the GitHub documentation).
2. Run mvn package
3. Run the GUI with the following command:

mvn compile exec:java"

Collecting Data

Run the following command for data collection of a single input (~480 runs/data points):

mvn compile exec:java -Dexec.mainClass="dataanalysis.DataCollector"

Run the following command for data population of experiment data. To use a different key you will need to edit the default in DataCollector.java and make a new folder and subfolders of all the combinations of key length and caesar decryption algorithms in the following format:

outputs/
    [ioc, friedman]_[kasiski, kerckhoff]/
        

Generate executable file

To create an executable file without the user needing the Java Runtime Environment on his or her computer, use the jpackage utility from the Java Development Kit:

**Mac **: jpackage --input target/ --name 'Frequency Analysis Simulation' --main-jar com.varunsingh.frequencyanalysissimulator-1.00.jar --main-class frequencyanalysissimulator.presentation.main.Main --type dmg --icon ./assets/icon.icns

*Windows **: jpackage --input target/ --name 'Frequency Analysis Simulation' --main-jar com.varunsingh.frequencyanalysissimulator-1.00.jar --main-class frequencyanalysissimulator.presentation.main.Main --type exe --icon ./assets/icon.ico *Does not work on Mac

*Linux **: jpackage --input target/ --name 'Frequency Analysis Simulation' --main-jar com.varunsingh.frequencyanalysissimulator-1.00.jar --main-class frequencyanalysissimulator.presentation.main.Main --type deb --icon ./assets/icon.ico *Does not work on Mac

Process

Phase I: Monoalphabetic Ciphers: July 22, 2019 - February 16, 2020

Phase II: Vigenere Ciphers: September 26, 2022 - May 8, 2023

Phase III: Graphics, Refactors, Variants: July 22, 2023 - November 26, 2023

Phase III

• Data GUI
• Data collection GUI
• Variants of Vigenere cipher

Phase II

• Data from Phase II
• Presentation

Phase I

• Data from Phase I
• Presentation

Concepts Used

• Advanced Data Structures - Java Collections API, including TreeSet, HashMap, ArrayList
• Layered Architecture - separated into presentation code (Java Swing framework), business logic (pure Java), and data analysis module (pure Java I/O)
• Recursion

Built With

• Java - The programming language
• Maven - The dependency management system
• JUnit - The testing framework

Sources of Research

• Inspiration from The Code Book by Simon Singh
• The Cryptanalyst by Helen Fouche Gaines
• Michigan Technological University - explanations of the Kasiski Examination and index of coincidence with working examples