The intelligence coup of the century

Washington Post ^ | Feb 11, 2020 | Greg Miller

[posterchild]

or 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.

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.

[Grampa Dave]

Becomes click bait from the Compost.

[Scrambler Bob]

So we know EVERYTHING about EVERYBODY, right?

So what’s the problem with Trump’s phone call, and Hellary’s servers, and all that, hmmmm ???

And Biden
And Ukraine
And ... fill in your blank

[IndispensableDestiny]

Reminds me of chatter in the 1990s that all CISCO products were compromised by the NSA.

[dayglored]

Where’s the Casablanca “SHOCKED! I’M SHOCKED!!” meme?

[gandalftb]

For those so inclined, the best online site I’ve found for internet security is:
.............
https://www.darkreading.com/

[Mariner]

Great reading
Thank you

[gandalftb]

and Siemens........Iran are you listening? Ya been punked.

[Mariner]

“Reminds me of chatter in the 1990s that all CISCO products were compromised by the NSA.”

Of course.

Who ever thought otherwise?

Use NSA code and HW designs, or don’t get certified by any body as secure.

And prepare to be arrested and charged in the most frivolous manner for violations of the export acts...

NSA owns US encryption, lock stock and barrel.

You do business their way, or no way at all.

[cgbg]

Snowden and several other whistle-blowers have covered this sort of thing in detail.

The only truly secure communication is whispering in someone’s ear (with your hands covering your mouth). ;-)

It is a joke to hear the DC, corporate and mass media types talking about “information security”.

Their time would be better spent discussing the mating habits of Unicorns.

[riverdawg]

The claim that this was the “intelligence coup of the century” is a bit overblown. I would rank

1. the breaking of JN25, the Japanese naval codes

2. the breaking of the German Enigma codes

3. the Venona tapes

as, arguably, of more importance than the operations of Crpto AG.

[Hatteras]

"It is a joke to hear the DC, corporate and mass media types talking about “information security”.

...and electronic voting

[Albion Wilde]

bump

[Jumper]

Ping

[DesertRhino]

I know the holy cult of intelligence is sacrosanct. But I wonder if anyone ever ponders the fatal damage that follows when you spend 7 decades convincing the world that you are always lying, always scheming, always dishonest, and every public statement you make is BS.

People laugh about Stimson saying “”Gentlemen do not read each other’s mail.” But that was a better and a far more respected America.

People laugh at his as naive. But it would be better to look at his reaction when Japs and Germans made it clear they were would not show respect to his concepts by being honorable.

“After World War II broke out in Europe, Stimson accepted Roosevelt’s appointment to the position of Secretary of War. After the United States entered World War II, Stimson took charge of raising and training 13 million soldiers and airmen, supervised the spending of a third of the nation’s GDP on the Army and the Air Forces, helped formulate military strategy, and oversaw the Manhattan Project, which built the first atomic bombs. He supported the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He also insisted on judicial proceedings against Nazi war criminals, leading to the Nuremberg trials.”

Nothing wrong with being an honorable gentleman and having morals. And when someone violates them, you pull out a 45 and kill them. It’s WAY closer to John Wayne than the sneaks and cowards in the CIA/NSA today.

[Svartalfiar]

The claim that this was the “intelligence coup of the century” is a bit overblown. I would rank

1. the breaking of JN25, the Japanese naval codes - early 1900s

2. the breaking of the German Enigma codes - early 1900s

3. the Venona tapes - early 1900s

as, arguably, of more importance than the operations of Crypto AG.

Those are debateable on whether or not they even apply. I didn't read the full article, but the excerpt does mention stuff going into the 21st century. So, if we're only talking 21st and not 20th, none of your bullet points matter ;)

[riverdawg]

I didn’t mean to downplay these new revelations. However, the role of the code-breaking success in defeating the Japanese and the Germans and facilitating the demise of the Soviet Union pales in comparison to the impact of the program discussed in the article (in my humble opinion).

In any event, with regard to when these intelligence operations occurred, according to the article (which I read) CryptoAG began during WWII, so there was almost half a (20th) century of intelligence collected by them. The formal sharing relationship between CryptoAG and the CIA and the BND began in 1970. Also, of the the three *mid-1900s* (not the early 1900s) intelligence coups I mentioned, the Venona project continued until 1980.