CIA And German Intelligence Secretly Owned The World's Top Encryption Supplier That Permitted Them To Read The Communications Of Allies And Adversaries For Decades

Washington Post: ‘The intelligence coup of the century’: For decades, the CIA read the encrypted communications of allies and adversaries

For more than half a century, governments all over the world trusted a single company to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret.

The company, Crypto AG, got its first break with a contract to build code-making machines for U.S. troops during World War II. Flush with cash, it became a dominant maker of encryption devices for decades, navigating waves of technology from mechanical gears to electronic circuits and, finally, silicon chips and software.

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The Swiss firm made millions of dollars selling equipment to more than 120 countries well into the 21st century. Its clients included Iran, military juntas in Latin America, nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, and even the Vatican.

But what none of its customers ever knew was that Crypto AG was secretly owned by the CIA in a highly classified partnership with West German intelligence. These spy agencies rigged the company’s devices so they could easily break the codes that countries used to send encrypted messages.

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WNU Editor: For years this company provided encryption tools to scores of governments who believed it would keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret. But in reality it was owned by the CIA and German intelligence who could read these communications when they wanted to, and did so for decades. This is a major security breach, even though it mostly happened during the Cold War and ending in 2018.

More News On The CIA And German Intelligence Secretly Owning The World's Top Encryption Supplier

CIA used encryption company to spy on other countries for decades: report -- The Hill
Swiss investigate report that tech firm helped CIA crack other countries' top-secret messages -- Straits Times/Reuters
US, German spies plundered global secrets via Swiss encryption firm: Report -- CNA/AFP
CIA Spied Using Sabotaged Encryption Equipment It Sold to Foreign Governments Since the 1970s -- Gizmodo
CIA secretly owned world's top encryption supplier, read enemy and ally messages for decades -- Boing Boing
CIA Secretly Owned World's Top Maker of Encryption Devices - Reports -- Sputnik