Unbreakable ROCKEX Cipher Machine: Keeping Canadian Communications Secure During The Cold War

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  • Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
  • Don't forget to like the video and subscribe to my channel!
    Support me on Patreon - / polyusstudios
    Well before digital encryption and VPNs there was Rockex, Canada’s unbreakable cipher machine that rivaled the German Enigma in its day. Although completely hidden from the public, Canada has played a noticeable role in the history of espionage. During the Cold War Canadian cipher machines worked alongside those of her allies to keep communications secure and helped to preserve the peace.
    Check out cryptomuseum.com for more information about Rockex and to find the source of most of the pictures of the device I used.
    Music:
    Denmark - Portland Cello Project
    #Cipher #CanadianAerospace #PolyusStudios

Комментарии • 49

  • @royalcityjazz
    @royalcityjazz 2 года назад +45

    You should be funded by the Canadian government for these. I'm proud to be a supporter of yours.

    • @Roddy556
      @Roddy556 2 года назад +1

      Very true. Apply for grants maybe?

    • @JTA1961
      @JTA1961 2 года назад +3

      It's not 1/2 french

    • @martkbanjoboy8853
      @martkbanjoboy8853 2 года назад +2

      Each vid would have to include an extravagant intro singing the praises of Pooh Bear to qualify for the greasepalm.

  • @radarmike6713
    @radarmike6713 2 года назад +8

    I was an ATIS tech in the RCAF. I got to "work" on a mark 5 at the C&E museum back I the early 2000's it was o taken out of the secret squirrel comms bldg on CFSCE when they got decommissioned in like 90. It was an amazingly simple but complicated system.
    Proudest thing I can say I did or was. Is that I was a "Jimmy" in the Signals Corps of the Canadian forces.

    • @radarmike6713
      @radarmike6713 2 года назад +3

      @@polyus_studios it was never on display at the time. They had an actual captured enigma from a u 5 something. They were not sure as it was only one of maybe three left known in Canada at least. Maybe worldwide.

    • @Stylemaster911
      @Stylemaster911 2 года назад +1

      VVV, great story and I still love going to the C&E Museum. I love that it was held at CFSCE until 1990 as well, man that's some antiquated stuff!

  • @ZacCrawforth
    @ZacCrawforth 2 года назад +10

    Fascinating! I had no idea Canada had it's own homebrew encryption devices. Your content, as always, is incredibly interesting and engaging.

  • @SubtleAcoustics
    @SubtleAcoustics 2 года назад +10

    Interesting content as usual - thanks for your research and publishing

  • @spacewolfjr
    @spacewolfjr 2 года назад +5

    Great video! I think you'd be interested in William Stephenson he was a Canadian spymaster who had a very interesting life.

  • @Mikeperry140
    @Mikeperry140 2 года назад +2

    I like this channel because no one covers Canadian history like you do

  • @scottdunlop7442
    @scottdunlop7442 Год назад

    Best Documentary series on RUclips. Thank you

  • @dmacpher
    @dmacpher 2 года назад +3

    Amazing! Stoked

  • @benddyck6455
    @benddyck6455 2 года назад +4

    Absolutely amazing vid

  • @acanadianguy5907
    @acanadianguy5907 2 года назад +2

    This is the best channel on RUclips

  • @kimchipig
    @kimchipig 2 года назад +3

    The first versions of the Enigma Machine were in fact developed in Poland.

    • @spacewolfjr
      @spacewolfjr 2 года назад

      I think it's the Bomba that was developed originally in Poland -- Arthur Scherbius, the Enigma inventor was German

  • @trentdabs5245
    @trentdabs5245 2 года назад +3

    Love your videos Bro keep it up 👍👏
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and Your Family

  • @bstewart6148
    @bstewart6148 Год назад

    My grandfather was part of the development of Rockex. He trained at Camp X in Oshawa, Ontario. Look up, "The spy from PEI." He also has an interview on CBC that's much more in-depth about Rockex.
    Clifton Stewart* *The man most ordinary*

  • @Chilly_Billy
    @Chilly_Billy 2 года назад +2

    Great seeing a new video from you.

  • @blowinkk9396
    @blowinkk9396 2 года назад +2

    Great video as always! Love everyone of your videos

  • @johnnycanuck9867
    @johnnycanuck9867 2 года назад +1

    Always great thanks

  • @robbyowen9107
    @robbyowen9107 2 года назад

    Good stuff as always!!

  • @gs637
    @gs637 2 года назад +1

    Great documentary, thanks

  • @raztaz826
    @raztaz826 2 года назад +2

    That was neat, I learned something new.

  • @Bornintheseat
    @Bornintheseat 2 года назад

    I had no idea these existed very interesting!

  • @mackfisher4487
    @mackfisher4487 2 года назад +2

    Very interesting, when was the recognition of these systems declassified?

  • @j-p6422
    @j-p6422 2 года назад

    Another great video! Also, Hail Hydra!

  • @markthibault8579
    @markthibault8579 2 года назад

    Well done. Your channel is awesome.

  • @johnandrews3568
    @johnandrews3568 2 года назад +1

    Have you been to the Diefenbunker? It's worth a visit and an episode here. Apparently the gov't unknowingly sold it as surplus to someone connected to Hell's Angels and upon learning this, the gov't bought it back at a significant loss to the tax payers. It's a pretty amazing piece of Cold War era kit.

    • @johnandrews3568
      @johnandrews3568 2 года назад

      @@polyus_studios The bunker is worth a vid on its own. Plus, a visit is worth its weight in gold, particularly given the mystique around Dief, the Arrow and the Cold War.

  • @TheMrEcloth
    @TheMrEcloth Год назад

    More! love the content just posting for interaction points

  • @Guntank214
    @Guntank214 2 года назад

    Very cool video, though for some reason youtube never sent me a notification even though I'm subscribed and belled.

  • @ABrit-bt6ce
    @ABrit-bt6ce 2 года назад

    That moment when you find a hanging earth lead... :)

  • @Roddy556
    @Roddy556 2 года назад +1

    While I very much enjoyed this quality video I prefer the Cold War era aircraft and equipment ones more.

  • @mochabear88
    @mochabear88 8 месяцев назад

    dope

  • @fumblerooskie
    @fumblerooskie 2 года назад

    I strongly recommend the book "The True Intrepid" by Bill Macdonald

  • @ethimself5064
    @ethimself5064 2 года назад

    WOW

  • @Meowface.
    @Meowface. 2 года назад

    I swear I remember you did a video on Canada’s DEW line project
    I don’t see it in your video list... am I just imagining things? Maybe I’m thinking of another channel

    • @Meowface.
      @Meowface. 2 года назад

      @@polyus_studios that would be a great addition to your library
      I’d love to share it with my dad, he worked at alert in the later years of the Cold War when he was in the navy
      I know he’d love to see it

  • @Vespuchian
    @Vespuchian 2 года назад

    Oh my, a single-use encryption tape would certainly make ROCKEX neigh unbreakable. I wonder how the tapes were distributed and coordinated so the receiving unit knew where on the cypher tape the incoming message was starting.

    • @alexandersinger9788
      @alexandersinger9788 2 года назад

      I was thinking the same thing. In a sense that potentially opens a physical security risk although I guess they were able to manage that, but would be an interesting part of the story to know how that distribution and coordination was done ...

  • @ctcrusader7479
    @ctcrusader7479 2 года назад

    I wish the canadian government would get itself together to make some more cool stuff.

  • @billneese5166
    @billneese5166 2 месяца назад

    About 3 minutes in, you said "…the two tapes were combined together …".
    Could they have been combined apart, or is this "déjà vu all over again"?
    Be concise!

  • @DAIadvisor
    @DAIadvisor 9 месяцев назад

    The reason it was "unbreakable" is because no one ever tried or cared for to break Canadian military cyphers.

  • @nzs316
    @nzs316 2 года назад +2

    How many of us were waiting with our trigger finger on the play icon? I was number four!

  • @malakiblunt
    @malakiblunt 2 года назад

    for the algorithm

  • @ScumfuckMcDoucheface
    @ScumfuckMcDoucheface 2 года назад +1

    Sweet... So I'm down in Windsor, where are you? We can team up and go check out Camp X, maybe not even get shanked by crackheads! =) You down? Man oh man, I'm sooooo down.

    • @marklittle8805
      @marklittle8805 2 года назад

      Not much to see at where Camp X is. It is an industrial park with an LCBO warehouse. The Camp X monument is to the south of it. The trucking company I worked for sat where the original entrance gate was.
      There is no actual buildings left save one cottage that was moved 5 km or so north and was used for an animal shelter.
      The only thing to see is the monument and you can walk down to the little beach where the Gouzenkos would walk while being hid there in their defection