Kryptos 2/ Composed Ciphertexts

Ciphertexts usually look meaningless and random at a glance. The structured encryption process means they are not random, but it takes training and skill to discern what is chance from what is not. As Polish codebreaker Marian Rejewski put it:

…it is the cryptologist’s task, among other things, to discover and make proper use of these deviations from chance.

If the novice codebreaker sees meaning where there is none, they can stumble.

Kryptos K4 has a feature that has caused some debate about these deviations from chance. The letters that make up the word KRYPTOS are mysteriously bundled together in the ciphertext:

?OBKR
UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO
TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP
VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR

I contend that Sanborn and Scheidt are clever enough to intentionally express explicit clues in ciphertexts. I’m calling these ciphertexts composed.

I also contend that following these composed ciphertext clues is the only practical way to solve K4.