Taken from The Code Book, written by Simon Singh, which was found in the business section though god knows why it's there. The book contains also a set of ten puzzles from the easy to the tedious. Since they teach the reader the skills required for amateur crytoanalysis and cipher-breaking, nothing else is provided. The puzzles were originally a challenge that awarded $15 000 to whoever that first solved them all.

The competition closed in 2000, and the award was claimed.

Case 1: simple monoalphebetic substituition

Bt jpx rmlz rcuv amlx icvjp ibtwxr ci m lmt’r pmtn, mtn yvcjx cdxv mwmbtrj jpx amtngxrjbah uqct jpx qgmrjxv ci jpx ymgg ci jpx hbtw’r qmgmax; mtn jpx hbtw rmy jpx qmvj ci jpx pmtn jmpj ycjx. Jpxt jpx hbtw’r acutjxtmtax ymr apmtwxn, mtn pbr jpcuwprj jvcfgxn pbl, rc jmpj jpx scbtbr ci pbr gcbtr yxvx gccrxn, mtn pbr htxxr rlcjx ctx mwmbtrj mtcjpxv. Jpx hbtw avbxn mgcun jc fvbtw bt jpx mrjvcgcwxvr , jpx apmgnxmtr, mtn jpx rccjprmexvr. Mtn jpx hbtw rqmhx, mtn rmbn jc jpx ybrx lxt ci fmfegct, ypcrcxdxv rpmgg vxmnjpbr yvbjbtw, mtn rpcy lx jpx btjxvqvxjmjbct jpxvxci, rpmgg fx agcjpxn ybjp ramvgxj, mtn pmdx m apmbt ci wcgnmfcuj pbr txah, mtn rpmgg fx jpx jpbvn vugxvbt jpx hbtwncl. Jpxt amlx bt mgg jpx hbtw’r ybrx lxt; fuj jpxeacugn tcj vxmn jpx yvbjbtm, tcv lmhx htcyt jc jpx hptw jpx btjxvqvxjmjbct jpxvxci. Jpxt ymr hbtw fxgrpmoomv wvxmjge jvcufgxn, mtn pbr acutjxtmtax ymr apmtwxn bt pbl, mtn pbrgcvnr yxvx mrjctrpxn. Tcy jpx kuxxt,f e vxmrct ci jpx ycvnr ci jpx hbtw mtn pbr gcvnr, amlx bt jpx fmtkuxj pcx tn jpx kuxxt rqmhx mtn n, c hbtw, gbdx icvxdxv; gxj tcj jpe jpcuwpjr jvcufgx jpxx, tcv xj jpe acutjxmtax fatwn; jpx br m lmt bt jpe hbtwncl, bl ypcl br jpx rqbvbj ci jpx pcge wcnr; mtn bt jpx nmer ci jpe imjpxv gbwpj mtn utnxvrjtnbtw mtn ybrncl, gbhx jpx ybrncl ci jpx wcnrmr icutn bt pbl; ypcl jpx hbtw txfuatxomv jpe imjpxv, jpv hbtwn, b rme, jpe imj, lmnxlmrjxv ci jpxmwbamtr mrjvgcwxvr, apmnxmt, mtn rccjprmexvr; ivmlap mr mt xzaxggxtj rqbvbj, mtn htcygxnwx, mtn utnxvrjmtnbtw, btjxvqvxjbtw ci nvxmlr, mtn rpcyrtw ci pmvn rxtjxtaxr , mtn nbrrcgdbtw ci ncufjr, yxvx icutn bt jpx rmlx nmtbxg, ypcl jpx hbtw tmlxn fxgjxrpmoomv; tcy gxj nmtbxg fx amggxn, mtn px ybgg rpcy jpx btjxvqvxjmjbct. Jpx ibvrj acnxycvn br cjpxggc.

Arranged from one to ten, the first three were labelled with the type of cipher used. Case One is the supposed "easiest", ciphered with the primitive monoalphebetic substitution. Praise my dedication for typing the bloody thing out with a headache. I feel so proud of myself I can hardly speak. This text has a grand total of 308 (three hundred and eight) words.

Wish me luck?