Before the digital age, one of the toughest codes to crack was the Enigma. The device that enciphered (and deciphered) that code was the Enigma machine. In our latest episode, Cryptology (SECRET CODES), Dr. Simon Singh explains how we got to the Enigma: “Cryptography develops because, you know, I break your code and I need a better code. Cryptography also develops as a result of communications technology advancing. So when the telegraph was invented, we needed more secure forms of encryption. When the radio was invented, we needed even more effective encryption.” Enter: the Enigma. When a key is pressed on an Enigma machine, electrical signals get scrambled through a mess of wires so if you press a letter, the machine spits out a different letter, all depending on the settings of the machine. Enigma machines could encode messages trillions of different ways. If you and I had the same setup, we could communicate with each other. For everybody else, it was impossible to guess. Learn how the Enigma was employed — and broken — during World War II. Listen to Cryptology (SECRET CODES) at the link in bio or wherever you get your podcasts. Video via @natlcybercenter