Editing Final Report 2011 (section)

==Project Outcomes==
===Significance and Innovations===
This project has been significant, as it has contributed directly to an on-going state investigation. The software and results obtained in 2011 provide a valuable resource for anyone planning to continue the investigation in the future, at the University of Adelaide or externally. 

On the cipher analysis side, a substantial contribution has been made to the ongoing investigation of the Somerton Man code. This has also led to the by-product of a pioneering cipher analysis tool; the CipherGUI. This piece of software is innovative in that it merges numerous ciphers into one centralised application while also providing the aid of real-time frequency analysis and interactive keyword functionality. The CipherGUI possesses both educational and cryptanalytical potential.

The development of a freely available pattern matching web crawler application provides a new tool with which to search the web in ways that traditional search engines such as Google do not allow. The flexible pattern matching algorithms, particularly the implementation of a Regular Expression option, combined with the development of an intuitive GUI frontend to the product sets it apart from other publicly available web crawlers.

===Strengths and Weaknesses===
The Cipher Analysis section of the project has strengths exceeding that of previous attempts. The comprehensive analysis has included a broad range of ciphers (over 30) with each being profoundly investigated. The cipher analysis tool strengths lie in the large number of ciphers (18) it merges into a single educational application, whilst providing analysis features and interactivity. 

The primary weaknesses from the Cipher Analysis section revolve around the source material. Assumptions regarding ambiguous letters and the language of the underlying message had to be made. The sample size of the source material (44 letters) also limited the ability to make conclusions.

The only identified weaknesses of the CipherGUI is the ciphers that cannot be (or have not been) implemented. These are mainly number-based or symbol-based ciphers.

The pattern matching web crawler system’s strengths are numerous. It is able to accept a wide range of user-determinable patterns, with flexible Regular Expression capabilities. The OTS solution to the web crawler module of the system has allowed all web crawling requirements to be met, namely abiding by the Robots Exclusion Protocol ethical policy as well as additional features that add usability. It also provides for robust error recovery whilst the open source nature of the crawler also allows modification of the underlying module if required. The intuitive GUI design ensures a broad range of users are able to access the tool.

Weaknesses of the system from a pattern matching perspective are the omission of certain special cases. The OTS choice for the web crawler module introduces the weakness of a lack of understanding of some of the internal workings of the code, hindering development. The dynamic nature of the web crawler implies there is no capability for data re-examination, also meaning searches are download intensive and more suited to rare or once-off searches. 

===Conclusion===
The Cipher Cracking 2011 project has been a successful venture. All objectives have been met and surpassed with the addition of new and innovative extensions. The products of the project are fully functional, produced on budget and on schedule, meeting all specified requirements.

The [[Final Report 2011#Cipher Analysis|Cipher Analysis]] section of the project has been both comprehensive and informative, providing a significant contribution to the ongoing investigation into the Somerton Man case and code. The product from this section is a [[Cipher Cross-off List]]; a database of ciphers and reasoning as to whether they can be ruled out from being used in creating the Somerton code. 

A by-product of the Cipher Analysis section is the CipherGUI, an innovative software tool merging numerous ciphers into one easy-to-use interface that also provides keyword interactivity and analysis tools. Applications of this software are both educational and cryptanalytic.

The Web Analysis section of the project has produced a valuable web search tool capable of independently browsing the web in search of flexible patterns defined by the user. Pattern matching functions include the implementation of the powerful Regular Expression definition of String patterns and an intuitive graphical user interface has been designed for the system to ensure a wide range of users are able to take advantage of this product. 

It is expected this web crawler will be extremely useful in searching for distinct patterns evident in the Somerton Man code, however the flexible pattern matching algorithms ensure it has uses outside this scope, for example in web statistic gathering and market research.

The software products of this project, namely the web crawler and the CipherGUI, have been made freely available on the project’s website. Project team members hope they can be put to continued good use, making the most of the many hours that have been put into creating them.

These software products will be made available in the [[Final Report 2011#See Also|See Also]] section of this report from 31/10/2011.