"Buttons labeled 0 through 9, you've got to enter six numbers in the correct order to open the lock... I would not have thought that would take a very complicated mechanism, it seems very simple compared to other mechanisms.  Heck, with ten buttons, just needing to depress the correct five buttons in any order, while leaving the five other buttons raised, would provide significant protection.  That seems very easy to visualize as a lock, though, making it not be externally obvious when you have some of the buttons correct but not others, would take more work..."

"Well, anyways, in dath ilan, there are locks which require a key, or six numbers, or both, depending on how strong you want to make them and whether you're more worried about stolen keys or spied-on codes.  And security issues like making sure that somebody can't tell which numbers are being depressed by listening to the sound of the clicks, or not having the interior mechanism of the key be examinable from the outside of the key before it's inserted into the lock, stuff like that."

"Is there such a thing as there being one best code, or one best key, that you could use to fend off the greatest possible number of thieves, and then no better code or better key than that could exist?"

"Buttons labeled 0 through 9, you've got to enter six numbers in the correct order to open the lock... I would not have thought that would take a very complicated mechanism, it seems very simple compared to other mechanisms.  Heck, with ten buttons, just needing to depress the correct five buttons in any order, while leaving the five other buttons raised, would provide significant protection.  That seems very easy to visualize as a lock, though, making it not be externally obvious when you have some of the buttons correct but not others, would take more work..."

"Well, anyways, in dath ilan, there are locks which require a key, or numbers, or both, depending on how strong you want to make them and whether you're more worried about stolen keys or spied-on codes.  And security issues like making sure that somebody can't tell which numbers are being depressed by listening to the sound of the clicks, or not having the interior mechanism of the key be examinable from the outside of the key before it's inserted into the lock, stuff like that."

"Is there such a thing as there being one best code, or one best key, that you could use to fend off the greatest possible number of thieves, and then no better code or better key than that could exist?"

"Buttons labeled 0 through 9, you've got to enter six numbers in the correct order to open the lock... I would not have thought that would take a very complicated mechanism, it seems very simple compared to other mechanisms.  Heck, with sixteen buttons, just needing to depress the correct eight buttons in any order, while leaving the eight other buttons raised, would provide significant protection.  That seems very easy to visualize as a lock, though, making it not be externally obvious when you have some of the buttons correct but not others, would take more work..."

"Well, anyways, in dath ilan, there are locks which require a key, or numbers, or both, depending on how strong you want to make them and whether you're more worried about stolen keys or spied-on codes.  And security issues like making sure that somebody can't tell which numbers are being depressed by listening to the sound of the clicks, or not having the interior mechanism of the key be examinable from the outside of the key before it's inserted into the lock, stuff like that."

"Is there such a thing as there being one best code, or one best key, that you could use to fend off the greatest possible number of thieves, and then no better code or better key than that could exist?"

"Buttons labeled 0 through 9, you've got to enter six numbers in the correct order to open the lock... I would not have thought that would take a very complicated mechanism, it seems very simple compared to other mechanisms.  Heck, with sixteen buttons, just needing to depress the correct eight buttons in any order, while leaving the eight other buttons raised, would provide significant protection.  That seems very easy to visualize as a lock; though, making it not be externally obvious when you have some of the buttons correct but not others, would take more work..."

"Well, anyways, in dath ilan, there are locks which require a key, or numbers, or both, depending on how strong you want to make them and whether you're more worried about stolen keys or spied-on codes.  And security issues like making sure that somebody can't tell which numbers are being depressed by listening to the sound of the clicks, or not having the interior mechanism of the key be examinable from the outside of the key before it's inserted into the lock, stuff like that."

"Is there such a thing as there being one best code, or one best key, that you could use to fend off the greatest possible number of thieves, and then no better code or better key than that could exist?"