Uhilelekile Emshikashikeni Wokugcina Imfihlo!

Wake wawudlala umdlalo wokuphicaphicana ngamagama nezinombolo? Wake wathenga nge-Internet noma wahlola ukuma kwezimali zakho ebhange nge-computer? Uma kunjalo, ungenile emkhakheni wokukhuluma ngokuphambanisa amagama, izinhlamvu nencazelo.

KUZE kube manje, ukubhala ngendlela eyimfihlo bekuvame ukusetshenziswa ohulumeni, amanxusa, izinhloli namasosha. Kodwa akusenjalo. Njengoba sekunama-computer ne-Internet, ukwaziswa okuningi kugcinwa kuyimfihlo ngezindlela eziningi, ezinjengama-password, afuneka njalo lapho umuntu efuna ukuvula imininingwane yakhe kuyi-computer. Ngempela, ukufihla izinto akukaze kudlale indima enkulu kangaka ekuphileni kwansuku zonke.

Ngakho-ke, singase sizibuze: Kulondeke kangakanani ukwaziswa kwami okuyimfihlo? Kukhona yini engingakwenza ukuze ngikulonde kakhudlwana? Ngaphambi kokuphendula le mibuzo, ake ucabange okwesikhashana ngomncintiswano okhona phakathi kwabantu ababhala ngokuphambanisa amagama nalabo abakwazi ukuwafunda—okuyimpikiswano endala kakhulu.

Indlela Yokufihla Okubhaliwe

Enye indlela yokubhala eyimfihlo enomlando omude ikhona ibizwa ngokuthi i-steganography, noma “umbhalo omboziwe.” Injongo yokumboza okubhaliwe iwukufihla ukuba khona kombhalo. Isazi-mlando sasendulo uHerodotus sabhala ukuthi umGreki othile owayedingisiwe wabona ukuthi iPheresiya yayilungiselela ukuhlasela izwe lakubo. Efuna ukuxwayisa abantu bakubo, wabhala umyalezo ezibhebheni zokhuni wazipenda ukuze afihle umyalezo, ubuhlakani obabusetshenziswa amaRoma asendulo. NgokukaHerodotus, ubuqili bamaGreki bavimbela inkosi yasePheresiya uXerxes ekuzumeni iGrisi, futhi amabutho akhe anqotshwa.

Izindlela zanamuhla zokumboza okubhaliwe zihlanganisa ukusebenzisa amachashaza amancane kakhulu, iphepha elingakubonakalisi okubhalwe kulo nezithombe. Phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, indlela yokubhala yokusebenzisa amachashaza amancane yayiyisithombe esenziwe saba sincane salingana nongqi. Othunyelelwe lo myalezo wayevele akhulise leli chashaza ngesibonakhulu. Namuhla, abantu abadayisa izithombe ezingcolile basebenzisa indlela efanayo. Besizwa izinhlelo zama-computer, bakwazi ukufihla izithombe ezingcolile ngaphansi kwezinye ezingangcolile, emibhalweni noma emafayeleni omculo.

Ngenxa yokuthi ukuba khona komyalezo kugcinwa kuyimfihlo, le ndlela yokubhala ayivezi ukuthi uvela kuphi futhi uya kubani. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uma umyalezo utholakala, ungafundeka—ngaphandle uma nawo ufihliwe.

Ukufihla Incazelo

I-Cryptology noma “ukufihla incazelo” iyisayensi yokugcina ukuxhumana kuyimfihlo, hhayi ngokufihla ubukhona bendaba, kodwa incazelo yayo. Le nqubo ihlanganisa ukuxova nokuxazulula ukwaziswa ngokuvumelana nesimiso semithetho esibekwe kusengaphambili, esenza kube abantu abaqonda leyo mithetho kuphela abakwazi ukuwufunda lowo myalezo.

Abantu basedolobheni lasendulo iSparta, babefihla imiyalezo besebenzisa ithuluzi elibizwa ngokuthi i-scytale. Obhala umyalezo ngokuphambanisa amagama wayebopha yonke induku ngomdweshu wesikhumba abese ewubhala umyalezo. Lapho usuqaqiwe, lo mdweshu wawubonakala sengathi unezinhlamvu ezingasho lutho. Kodwa lapho lowo obhalelwe umyalezo ethatha lo mdweshu ebopha ngawo eyakhe induku elingana ncamashí neyasekuqaleni, wayekwazi ukuwufunda lowo myalezo. Esebenzisa indlela yokumboza okubhaliwe, ohambisa umyalezo ngezinye izikhathi wayewufihla ngokuzibopha ngalo mdweshu okhalweni, amagama abe ngaphakathi.

Kuthiwa uJulius Caesar wayefihla imiyalezo yempi ngokusebenzisa indlela elula yokubhala yokuphambanisa izinhlamvu (cipher)—ukuphanjaniswa kwezinhlamvu, ngokwesibonelo, ukusebenzisa uhlamvu lwesithathu esikhundleni solokuqala. Khona-ke, u-e abe ngu-d, u-b abe ngu-e, njalonjalo.

UKuvuselelwa KweYurophu kwaletha izindlela zentuthuko enkulu ekufihleni incazelo yombhalo. Omunye wabantu abawuthuthukisa kakhulu lo mkhakha kwakunguBlaise de Vigenére, usomaqhinga waseFrance owazalwa ngo-1523. Wasikisela ukuba kusetshenziswe indlela yokuphambanisa izinhlamvu eyayisikhona kakade eyayihilela ukuphanjaniswa kwezinhlamvu eziningi lapho kubhalwa. Le ndlela yakhe, okwakucatshangwa ukuthi ayinakufundwa abanye, yabizwa ngokuthi “indlela yokuphambanisa izinhlamvu engafundeki” (le chiffre indéchiffrable). Noma kunjalo, intuthuko endleleni yokuphambanisa amagama yabangela intuthuko nasendleleni yokuwafunda.a

Ngokwesibonelo, lapho izazi ezingamaSulumane zihlaziya iKoran, ebhalwe ngesi-Arabhu, zabona ukuthi ezinye izinhlamvu zivela njalo uma ziqhathaniswa nezinye, umkhuba ovamile nakwezinye izilimi. Lokhu kuqonda kwaholela ekusungulweni kwethuluzi elibaluleke kakhulu lokufihla incazelo elibizwa ngokuthi i-frequency analysis, elingembula incazelo efihliwe yezinhlamvu ezithile noma yezinhlamvu eziphanjanisiwe ngokubala izikhathi okuvela ngazo uhlamvu ngalunye.

Ngekhulu le-15, indlela yokubhala efihla incazelo yayisiyithuluzi elivamile kosomaqhinga baseYurophu. Kodwa yayingavikelekile ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ngokwesibonelo, indoda ethile engumFulentshi uFrançois Viète yakwazi ukufunda imibhalo yamagama aphanjanisiwe yesigodlo saseSpain. Okumangalisa nakakhulu ukuthi, le ndoda yaphumelela ukuyifunda kangangokuba iNkosi uPhillip II yathi uViète usebenzelana noDeveli futhi kufanele athweswe amacala enkantolo yamaKatolika!

Ubuchwepheshe Bungena Kulo Mkhakha

Ngekhulu lama-20, ikakhulukazi phakathi nezimpi ezimbili zomhlaba, ukubhala ngokufihla incazelo kwathuthukiswa kakhulu kusetshenziswa imishini eyinkimbinkimbi, enjenge-enigma yaseJalimane, umshini othi awufane nowokubhala. Lapho umbhali ebhala ngendlela evamile ngalo mshini, lo mshini wawuyiguqula uyenze ingafundeki. Umbhalo osuguqulwe ngalo mshini wawuthunyelwa nge-Morse code bese uguqulwa ngenye i-enigma ukuze ufundeke. Noma kunjalo, amaphutha nokunganaki kwababesebenzisa le mishini sebekhathele, kwenza kwaba lula ngalabo ababefuna ukufunda le miyalezo ukuba bathole imikhondo eyayenza bagcine bekwazile ukuyifunda.

Ezweni lanamuhla elisebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bama-computer, ukufaka imali ebhange, ukuthumela imali, ukukhokha izikweletu, ukwelapha, ezentengiselwano nokulondoloza amarekhodi kahulumeni, kuvikelwa ngezindlela eziyinkimbinkimbi zokufihla ukwaziswa. Indlela yokubhala eyimfihlo, ifundwa yilabo abanemininingwane efanele yokuvula ukwaziswa ukuze bakubuyisele endleleni efundekayo obekuyiyo ekuqaleni.

Njengoba isihluthulelo sensimbi sinamazinyo, isihluthulelo se-computer sinenqwaba yezinombolo ezihlelwe ngamaqoqo. Ezinezinombolo eziningi kuba nzima ukuzivula. Ngokwesibonelo, isihluthulelo esinezinombolo ezingu-8, singakha amaqoqo angafani ezinombolo angu-256, kanti esinezinombolo ezingu-56 singakha amaqoqo angafani ezinombolo ezingaphezu kwezingu-72 quadrillion. Njengamanje indlela evamile yokusebenzisa i-Internet inesihluthulelo esinezinombolo ezingu-128, esinamaqoqo engeziwe angu-4,7 sextillion uma siqhathaniswa nesinezinombolo ezingu-56!b

Noma kunjalo, zisavulwa izinto ngokungemthetho. Ngokwesibonelo ngo-2008, abashushisi bombuso base-United States babeka amadoda angu-11 icala lalokho okucatshangwa ukuthi icala elikhulu kunawo wonke okwebiwa kwemininingwane yabantu. Kuthiwa leli qembu lalisebenzisa ama-computer aphathwayo (laptop), indlela yokuxhumana engasebenzisi izintambo nohlelo oluthile olukhethekile lwe-computer ukuze lithole izinombolo zamakhadi okuthenga ngesikweletu, nawokubeka imali ayesetshenzisiwe lapho kukhokhwa izindleko.

Ingabe Imininingwane Yakho Eyimfihlo Iphephile?

Ukuze ukhululeke, kunzima kakhulu ukuvula izihluthulelo zesivikelo se-akhawunti yakho yasebhange nakuyi-Internet. Kodwa, okuningi kuxhomeke kuwe. IBhayibheli lithi: “Unokuqonda lowo oboné inhlekelele wabe esecasha, kodwa abangenalwazi baye badlula ngakuyo futhi kumelwe bakhokhe.” (IzAga 22:3) Ngakho-ke yiba nokuqonda ‘ucashele’ inkohlakalo nobugebengu ngokwenza okulandelayo:

◼ Sebenzisa izinhlelo zama-computer ezivimbela amagciwane (antivirus).

◼ Faka uhlelo lwe-computer oluvimbela ukungena kwezinhlelo zama-computer ezeba imininingwane eyimfihlo (spyware).

◼ Faka uhlelo oluvimbela abanye ukuba bangene kuyi-computer yakho ngaphandle kwemvume yakho (firewall).

◼ Zigcine zisebenza izinhlelo ze-computer ezingenhla, futhi zithuthukise njalo izivikelo ze-computer yakho.

◼ Waqaphele ama-link nama-attachment athunyelwa nge-e mail, ikakhulukazi uma ungayicelanga futhi kuthiwa faka imininingwane yakho noma uqinisekise i-password yakho.

◼ Lapho uthumela imininingwane eyimfihlo, njengemininingwane yekhadi lokuthenga ngesikweletu, sebenzisa indlela okunzima ukuyivula futhi uvale i-computer yakho uma usuqedile ukuyisebenzisa.c

◼ Khetha i-password okunzima ukuba umuntu ayiqagele bese uyivikela.

◼ Ungakopishi noma ufake uhlelo lwe-computer ongalwazi ukuthi luvelaphi.

◼ Londoloza amakhophi amafayela akho endaweni ephephile njalo.

Uma ulandela lezi zindlela zokuzivikela futhi usebenzisa nezinye eziwusizo, uwathuthukisa kakhulu amathuba okunqoba impi yokuvikela izinto zakho nawokulondeka.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

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I-Spartan scytale yasendulo

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Umshini wamaJalimane i-Enigma, wangekhulu lama-20

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Izindlela zokufihla zanamuhla eziyinkimbinkimbi zivikela imininingwane yomuntu