COM-07 One-Time Pads (OTP)

COM-07: One-Time Pads (OTP)

Unbreakable manual encryption for MAG communications security

Course Overview, One Page

A single printable page covering what COM-07 teaches, the 6 lessons, what you need before starting, and the doctrinal sources behind the method. Useful for deciding whether the course is for you, or for handing to somebody in your group who is weighing it up.

The one-page PDF is not posted yet.

Why This Course

BLUF: One-time pad (OTP) encryption is the only encryption method that is mathematically unbreakable — and the only method where a single procedural mistake compromises everything. This is operator-level specialist content, not general MAG member training: it’s for the people in your group who will actually generate, distribute, and use OTP keys for sensitive traffic. It is not COM-04 EMCON (protecting the fact you’re transmitting) and it is not COM-06 Authentication (verifying who you’re talking to) — OTP protects only the content of a message.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

  • Explain why properly-used OTP encryption is mathematically unbreakable, and identify the one mistake that breaks that guarantee
  • Generate truly random pad key material by hand and reject the shortcuts that quietly compromise it
  • Convert a plaintext message into plaincode using a checkerboard and codebook
  • Encrypt and decrypt a message manually using modulo-10 arithmetic and the OTP worksheet
  • Recognize a compromised pad and carry out proper destruction and storage discipline

Lessons

LESSON 01

Foundations

What OTP is, why it’s unbreakable, where it fits in your COMSEC toolkit, and where it can legally be used.

LESSON 02

Pad Generation, Serialization & Distribution

Generating truly random keys, key indicators, OUT/IN pad pairing, and secure distribution.

LESSON 03

Message Preparation

Converting plaintext to plaincode with the checkerboard and Brevity Code Cards.

LESSON 04

Encryption & Decryption Procedure

The full worksheet workflow, worked examples, modulo-10 arithmetic.

LESSON 05

Pad Discipline, Compromise & Destruction

Storage, the seven common fatal mistakes, compromise checklist, destruction procedure.

LESSON 06

Capstone Practical Exercise

Hands-on encrypt/decrypt exercise using training pads and the OTP worksheet.

How This Course Works

Format Six online lessons, each with a short knowledge check you must pass to unlock the next.
Pace Self-paced — your progress is saved in your browser as you go.
Materials A blank OTP worksheet plus references to FFTP’s checkerboard, Brevity Code Cards, and Encrypt/Decrypt Cheat Cards.
Completion Finish all six lessons, then check the Course Map for what’s unlocked next.

Start the Course →

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