[Introduction]
Hello, I am Professor Gustov. You may know me as being the official mascot of GHAGAFAP which is Canada's longest running annual event. Welcome to another one of my classes on geocache puzzle solving and more. Within my class you will learn some very valuable puzzle solving skills. As always I will present you with a puzzle that you may find to be part of an Unknown geocache type. I will work with you to help guide you in solving the puzzle so that at the end of this session you will have all the information needed to obtain the coordinates of the geocache.
[Fluff Stuff]
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding messages (or information) in such a way that eavesdroppers or hackers cannot read it, but that authorized parties can. In an encryption scheme, the message or information (referred to as plaintext) is encrypted using an encryption algorithm, turning it into an unreadable ciphertext. This is usually done with the use of an encryption key, which specifies how the message is to be encoded. Any adversary that can see the ciphertext should not be able to determine anything about the original message. An authorized party, however, is able to decode the ciphertext using a decryption algorithm, that usually requires a secret decryption key, that adversaries do not have access to
[Puzzle]
I have written a secret message on the board. It is up to you to figure out what it means. If you get stuck, feel free to consult me as only I can provide you with some key information in solving the puzzle.
[Lesson in Solving]
The purpose of this lesson is to decode the secret message that I have written on the board. When you see such a message, you can expect it to be some sort of ciphertext. However there are many different types of ciphers. The easiest ones are transposition ciphers or substitution ciphers such as a Caesar Ciphers. Other more complicated ciphers are ones that use a key or some sort of input. A very common key cipher is the Vigenere cipher. This is also probably the most common type of cipher used in geocaching puzzles.
In the Fluff and Puzzle areas I have mentioned the word "key", so by reading the cache page closely you will have a good idea that the message was encrypted using a key and the most common of this type of cipher is the Vigenere cipher that I mentioned previously, so of course that would be a good place to try.
So we have the encrypted message and now we just need to figure out what the key is. The key could be a single word or a phrase. It is almost always mentioned somewhere on the cache page, either in the title or in the description. The title has 5 words in it. However I have given some important information in the puzzle section as to what the key could be. Who would you consult if you get stuck and what would be provided if you consulted? Since my name is Gustov and my name is also in the title and this cache puzzle was created by me, I think using my name as the "key" just might be a very good thing to try.
Next, how do you go about using the key with the encrypted message? The easiest thing to do is to find a web site that has online decoders for ciphers. Try searching the web for something like "vigenere cipher online decoder" and you will be sure to come up with the right web site necessary to decode the message. Once you find an online decoder, enter the message and the key and you should be well on your way to having this puzzle solved and finding the cache.
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[Gustov's Geocaching Tip]
Group caching is a great way to meet other people who share the same interest as you and that of course is geocaching. By going geocaching with others it is a great way to learn more about the hobby and also make new friends. Also as a group it may allow you to find caches that you may not have had the means of finding before, because odds are someone in the group will have the skills or tools necessary to find that cache that may have been elusive to you. Also in some cases, more pairs of eyes means that you are more likely to find a cache. Groups can range in size from just a handful of people to several dozen. You can always count on a fun time. |