Part 4/9:
To understand how Turing could break the code, one must first grasp the intricate design of the Enigma machine. The device comprised a set of rotors and a plugboard that scrambled letters to create a unique encryption output for any given message. When a user pressed a key, the machine would substitute the letter based on the complex internal wiring and settings of the rotors. The settings varied daily and were crucial for both encrypting and decrypting messages.
The design was clever—no letter could encode to itself, providing a hint for cryptanalysts to exploit. However, with a total of 150 trillion configurations possible each day, the challenge remained monumental.