Please find here two examples of ciphertext, one obtained from a Shift Cipher and the other from an Affine Cipher over the English alphabet. In each case, the task is to determine the plaintext and the key used.

Give a clearly written description of the steps you followed to crack the cipher. This should include all statistical analysis and computations you performed. This should also include any unsuccessful attempts made in the process. While you don't have to include every little step in the report, make sure to include all salient steps.

You are not expected to fully automate the breaking of the cipher. It is alright to think of your programs as tools in breaking the cipher and it is alright for you to do some work as a human outside of the programs. Even though you are cracking the specific example of the cipher posted, once you complete this assignment, you should be able to crack another example of the same cipher with considerably less work on your part. You can write your programs in a language of your choice, preferably one of C/C++/Java/Python. Independent of the language you choose to work with, the programs should be working in the Linux server of the department. .

Shift cipher

MBIZDYQBKZRIMOBDKSXVIRKCMYWOKVYXQGKICSXMOTEVSECMKOCKBBOZYBDONVIECONKXKSFOVICSWZVOMSZROB

Affine cipher

JYOJGXWYQNYGWFGDYIELYJQLIXKULQPPYNHFYIQTNWEJWEIGTKQTHYXXQUYTHIYTHFGTHFYETYHFGHQJHFYKBSWHHLQYNHFYKCESXNQTDYTHGCQPFYLHFGHTEETYCESXNRLYGM