Subj : Numbers stations
To   : Deuce
From : Angus McLeod
Date : Wed Aug 17 2005 11:00 pm

  Re: Numbers stations
  By: Deuce to Digital Man on Wed Aug 17 2005 12:54:00

 >  > The problem with text as the OTP, rather than purely random data, is that
 >  > however radomly chosen, still has a predictable pattern which can lead to
 >  > ciphertext being decoded.
 > 
 > Hrm?  There is no predictable pattern... you don't use the same set of numbe
 > twice in a OTP...

Which is why I think steganographic means would be perfect for 
transmitting an OTP.  Steganographic data is discovered because the data 
imposes order where there should be none.  Since the data that comprises 
an OTP should be as random as possible, there will *BE* no order to make 
the steganographic transmission weak/detectable.

 > Let's say I'm using a current magazine as the OTP and the numbers represent
 > page, line, word, letter.  I wouldn't need to repeat the same set of four
 > numbers at all ever.  Without any repetition, there is no pattern to discove

That isn't exactly how an OTP works.  You are describing a perectly 
workable method of encoding data (a la 'The key to Rebecca') but it really 
doesn't qualify as am OTP.  Not as far as I understand it.

Besides the data for an OTP should be as random as possible.  The text of 
a magazine would never be random enough to be considered for a page of an 
OTP.


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