| Rail Fence Cipher | Transposition Cipher |
| Ciphertext | Plaintext |
| Encryption | Decryption |
| Zigzag Pattern | Rows |
| A cipher that rearranges the order of the plaintext without changing the actual letters or characters | A transposition cipher that rearranges plaintext by writing it in a zigzag pattern over a predetermined number of rows before reading off the ciphertext from the columns. |
| The original message before being encrypted by a cipher | The encrypted message produced by applying a cipher to plaintext |
| The process of converting ciphertext into plaintext using a cipher | The process of converting plaintext into ciphertext using a cipher |
| The horizontal lines of the zigzag pattern used to write the plaintext for the Rail Fence Cipher | A pattern that moves in a back-and-forth motion like a zigzag |
| Columns | Block Cipher |
| Algorithm | Key |
| Secure Communication | Cryptanalysis |
| Frequency Analysis | Brute Force Attack |
| A cipher that encrypts a block of plaintext at a time and produces a corresponding block of ciphertext | The vertical lines of the zigzag pattern used to read off the ciphertext for the Rail Fence Cipher |
| A piece of information used by a cipher to encrypt or decrypt plaintext | A set of rules or steps that describe how to solve a problem or perform a task |
| The practice of analyzing and breaking codes and ciphers | Communication that is encrypted and protected from unauthorized access |
| A cryptanalysis technique that involves trying every possible key to break a cipher | A cryptanalysis technique that involves analyzing the frequency of letters or characters in ciphertext to identify patterns |
| Key Length | Key Space |
| The total number of possible keys that can be used by a cipher | The size or length of the key used by a cipher |