Shannon's Maxim
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
“The enemy knows the system.” When designing a security system, you must assume that attackers fully understand your algorithms and hardware architecture. Security should rely solely on the secrecy of the key, not on the secrecy of the design.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Reject security through obscurity. Do not rely on “hiding the key under the rug” (nobody knows) for secrecy. True security is placing the safe in the public square, posting the blueprints online, and still no one can open it (except those with the key).
Anchor fast decisions
Shannon's maxim is often expressed as “In the presence of an adversary, design systems without relying on the enemy's ignorance,” meaning security should be based on the secrecy of the key rather than the secrecy of the algorithm. It is a fundamental principle of information security design.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/3Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerckhoffs%27s_principleverified
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