Talk:Kerckhoffs' Principle/Draft

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 Definition The principle, formulated by Auguste Kerckhoffs, that security in a cipher should not depend on keeping the details of the cipher secret; it should depend only on keeping the key secret. [d] [e]
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 Workgroup categories Mathematics and Military [Editors asked to check categories]
 Subgroup category:  Security
 Talk Archive none  English language variant American English

Translation of second principle

I'd like to take out the first English version given here, leaving the French and the second English version which I think is a better translation. Any comment? Objection? Sandy Harris 02:05, 16 January 2010 (UTC)

My translation would be "The system must not require secrecy, and having it fall into the enemy's hands should not cause problems." Use that? I prefer it to either of the sourced translations. Do we have any French-speaking editors? Sandy Harris 02:28, 16 January 2010 (UTC)
I don't speak French, but I think we have some native speakers and many who are fluent. Howard C. Berkowitz 02:32, 16 January 2010 (UTC)
My take: "It should not depend on secrecy, nor cause inconvenience if it falls into the hands of the enemy." --Daniel Mietchen 13:19, 16 January 2010 (UTC)
For whatever it might be worth, more amusement than value perhaps, two machine translations. Altavista gives "It is necessary that it does not require the secrecy, and that it can without disadvantage of falling between the hands from the enemy." while Google gives "He must not require secrecy, and it can conveniently fall into the hands of the enemy." All the human translations are better. Sandy Harris 16
38, 16 January 2010 (UTC)