# K4 combines a Vigenère-type substitution on the KRYPTOS tableau with a transposition or masking step, a…

> Still possible: K4 combines a Vigenère-type substitution on the KRYPTOS tableau with a transposition or masking step, a change of method from K1 to K3.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos/answers/ANS0D7HTD60640S/k4-combines-a-vigenere-type-substitution-on-the-kryptos  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

---

[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Kryptos](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos)[What kind of cipher is K4?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos/questions/QST0D7HT81Y2GZY/what-kind-of-cipher-is-k4)Answer

Answer · Kryptos

# K4 combines a Vigenère-type substitution on the KRYPTOS tableau with a transposition or masking step, a…

K4 combines a Vigenère-type substitution on the KRYPTOS tableau with a transposition or masking step, a change of method from K1 to K3.

**Still possible** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Still possible** Its tests haven't settled it: two pieces of evidence for, none against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Undoing a transposition of the 97 characters yields a text that the KRYPTOS tableau decrypts with a periodic or running key consistent with the cribs.

## What would rule it out

- The method published by the archive's owner shows no transposition.

## Evidence 2 for · none against

[Scheidt has said there is an intentional change in methodology between passages.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos/evidence/EVD0D7HTDDT7PB5/scheidt-has-said-there-is-an-intentional-change-in)

Suggestive

FOR

[The cribs do not give a consistent key under simple Vigenère on the KRYPTOS tableau.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos/evidence/EVD0D7HTDNM2QVD/the-cribs-do-not-give-a-consistent-key-under-simple-vigenere)

Supported

FOR

## The questions it answers

[What kind of cipher is K4?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos/questions/QST0D7HT81Y2GZY/what-kind-of-cipher-is-k4)

Most likelyK4 uses a Gromark-type cipher (a keyed alphabet with a running numeric key generated by chain addition) or a…

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). K4 combines a Vigenère-type substitution on the KRYPTOS tableau with a transposition or masking step, a… [Answer ANS0D7HTD60640S]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D7HTD60640S
```

Key

**ANS** 0D7HTD60640S

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

Every record is open data. Take this one as JSON, with its links and its history.

[JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/api/v1/records/ANS0D7HTD60640S)