Editing Category:Number Stations

Number stations are shortwave transmissions from foreign intelligence agencies to spies in the field of foreign countries. They carry encrypted messages in form of groups of numbers or letters, using either automated voice, Morse code, or a digital mode. While the encryption methods used by most number stations are unknown, some have used and others are widely believed to use one-time pad: mathematical addition of a set of random numbers (the key) to the cleartext, which can be used only once, and must be destroyed after usage.

Number stations offer a powerful advantage in our modern world: practically complete anonymity. The recipient of the message can be almost anywhere in the world, and receive instructions without fear of being traced through a phone call or internet connection. All the recipient needs is a shortwave radio and to be in the right place at the right time.ENIGMA naming system

The most popular number station naming system was devised by the European Numbers Information Gathering and Monitoring Assocation (ENIGMA), a number station research group active in 1993-2000, and later maintained by ENIGMA 2000. It was created to solve ambiguities in number station reporting, and classifies stations by language or type of signal. Each ENIGMA designator consists of an alphabetic prefix followed by an ordinary number.

Current prefixes:

E - English language voice broadcasts
G - German language voice broadcasts
S - Slavic language voice broadcasts
V - Voice broadcasts in all other languages
M - Morse code
F - Frequency-shift keying digital modes
P - Phase-shift keying digital modes
XP - Russian 7 digital modes
HM - Hybrids of analog and digital modes
While powerful and convenient, the ENIGMA naming system isn't the be-all and end-all of numbers stations classification. There have been other approaches, such as the predating practice of naming stations after their musical introduction (Lincolnshire Poacher, Swedish Rhapsody...) or just by voice (English Man, German Lady); each with their own limitations. The ENIGMA system was very useful in its pre-internet era of analog radio and distant community, but blind application in a modern context with widespread digital tools might just result in unhelpful cargo cult. Instead, transversal analysis and classification of intelligence transmissions based on the study and determination that they originate from a same operator, brings a clearer picture than considering them as separate individual "stations" just by virtue of using different ENIGMA designators.

Sourced from: [https://priyom.org/number-stations priyom.org]

[[Category:Radio Stations]]