Shannon's maxim

proper noun

"The enemy knows the system"; a restatement of Kerckhoffs's principle.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. computing"The enemy knows the system"; a restatement of Kerckhoffs's principle.

Origin

Named after American mathematician Claude Shannon (1916–2001).

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Cite this entry
APA

Shannon's maxim. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shannon's%20maxim

MLA

“Shannon's maxim.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shannon's%20maxim. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shannon's maxim,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shannon's%20maxim.

Source: Shannon's maxim on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.