A person who specializes in breaking secret codes and analyzing encrypted messages.
From cryptanalysis + '-ist' suffix meaning 'a person who practices or specializes in,' emerging as a formal title during World War II.
Some of the most brilliant minds of WWII were cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park—including Alan Turing—and they were so secretive that their work wasn't publicly known for decades; the government didn't want anyone knowing how vulnerable 'unbreakable' codes actually were.
Cryptanalysis historically excluded women despite women's critical role in WWII codebreaking (Bletchley Park employed thousands of women in essential cryptanalytic work).
Use 'cryptanalyst' (gender-neutral) universally. Specify role if clarity needed: 'cryptanalytic specialist' or 'cryptanalysis engineer'.
["cryptanalyst","cryptanalytic engineer","cryptanalysis specialist"]
Women cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park and US intelligence agencies made foundational contributions to modern cryptanalysis but were systematically excluded from public recognition and formal career advancement for decades.
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