Proper noun
Kerckhoffs
A surname from Dutch.
However, tensions arose between Kerckhoffs and others in the Academy, who wanted reforms made to the language, and Schleyer, who insisted strongly on retaining his proprietary rights. Source: Internet
Explanation of the principle Kerckhoffs viewed cryptography as a rival, and a better alternative than stenographic-like encoding which was common in the nineteenth century for hiding the meaning of military messages. Source: Internet
It helps, I think, to go back to Kerckhoffs' second principle, translated as "The system must not require secrecy and can be stolen by the enemy without causing trouble," per http://petitcolas. Source: Internet
Shannon's maxim Shannon formulated a version of Kerckhoffs' principle as "The enemy knows the system". Source: Internet