Row Transposition Cipher
What is a Row Transposition Cipher?
Row Transposition cipher is a type of transposition cipher where the plaintext is written in rows within a grid, then the columns are rearranged according to a key sequence. The final ciphertext is read off column by column after rearrangement. It's more complex than simple ciphers like Rail Fence but still falls under classical cryptography.
Key Components:
1. Key sequence (numbers defining column order)
2. Grid dimensions (rows × columns)
3. Message text row by row
4. Column arrangement order
Key Rules:
1. Write text in rows filling the grid
2. Number columns based on key sequence
3. Rearrange columns by number order
4. Read down columns for ciphertext
Example:
Message: "HELLOWORLD"
Key: 3142
3 1 4 2
H E L L
O W O R
L D X X
In order:
1 2 3 4
E L H L
W R O O
D X L X
Result: "HELLOWORLD " → "EWDLRXHOLLOX"