This file is viewed best in a font, like courier, in which all characters are the same width.

I don't remember who wrote the memo in Kryptos.txt, so I can't express my appreciation adequately. There are three files in this set: Kryptos.txt - this file, with the CIA note. CIA_clue.txt - Kryptos text with CIA separations Kryptos.bmp - a photograph of the Sanborn sculpture at CIA Headquarters The photograph is of a transparent sculpture, with the text on one side and the Vigenere table on the other. Perhaps some member of the KREWE can solve the KRYPTOS inscription and share it (and the method of solution) with the rest of us. ---------------Anonymous memo: Recently, out of a sudden curiosity an ACA-er called CIA Public Affairs and asked if there were any insights on the Sanborn sculpture at Langley they'd care to disclose to an inquiring citizen. The woman who answered the phone said, "No, I can't say anything but, if you send me your name and address we can send you something." The ACA-er felt a tad paranoic but gave her the info and waited for the guys in the rubbersoled shoes. Instead, two days later two pages arrived in the mail which said a bit about the sculpture and gave the complete (and presumably) accurate cipher(s). There were no warnings regarding further dissemination. Since there does not seem to be ANY ACA reference giving the entire cipher, this might be information worth passing along. It seems there are no problems with ACA foreign members seeing this info as it was sent via US postal in an unclassified form. Below is the item (typed entirely). ************************************************************ Dec 1996 from: (through US postal channels) CIA Public Affairs Washington, DC 20505 phone number (703)-482-1100 they won't discuss it over the phone! just ask for "available information on KRYPTOS sculpture" -------------------------------------------------------------SANBORN SCULPTURE

The Art of Cryptography KRYPTOS, that peculiar sculpture in the courtyard area of the headquarters complex, has raised many eyebrows and questions ever since its installation. Undoubtedly its most intriguing aspect is the riddle of its hidden message. What could it be? Though few persons other than the author know the answer for certain, many have contemplated the question. We would like to pass on what knowledge we have gained from our cryptanalysis regarding the message. It is probable, from analysis of the letter distribution, that at least four separate systems of encryption have been employed: Digraphic, Poly-alphabetic, Transposition, and One-Time-Pad. The first of these, Digraphic substitution, is guessed to be applicable from "EMUFPH..." to "... GWHKK?". Thus method substitutes two letters for one letter, or even a whole syllable or word (e.g., JK=g, or FE=ible). The Polyalphabetic system appears to be used with the text extending from approximately "DQMCPF..." up to "...JLLAETG". In this system, multiple alphabets (we suspect four or eight) are used to substitute different letters for the same letters in the origina l text. For example, an "F" may be translated into an "R" one time, and then as an "M" another time, and as a "D" a third time. "ENDYAHR..." through "TVDOHW?" is guessed to incorporate a transposition system, also known as a permutation. This is a system in which the letters in the original message are mixed up according to a predefined rule. Often, the message is arranged into a matrix, say, reading left to right; then, the message is output reading down the colunms. (See example next page.) Perhaps a matrix system in which the length of the columns are multiples of eleven or thirteen has been used for this section of the message. |-------------------------------------| | The KRYPTOS Inscription | | | | EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJ | | YQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD | | VFPJUDEEHZWETZYVGWHKKQETGFQJNCE | | GGWHKK?DQMCPFQZDQMMIAGPFXHQRLG | | TIMVMZJANQLVKQEDAGDVFRPJUNGEUNA | | QZGZLECGYUXUEENJTBJLBQCRTBJDFHRR | | YIZETKZEMVDUFKSJHKFWHKUWQLSZFTI | | HHDDDUVH?DWKBFUFPWNTDFIYCUQZERE | | EVLDKFEZMOQQJLTTUGSYQPFEUNLAVIDX | | FLGGTEZ?FKZBSFDQVGOGIPUFXHHDRKF | | FHQNTGPUAECNUVPDJMQCLQUMUNEDFQ | | ELZZVRRGKFFVOEEXBDMVPNFQXEZLGRE | | DNQFMPNZGLFLPMRJQYALMGNUVPDXVKP | | DQUMEBEDMHDAFMJGZNUPLGEWJLLAETG | | ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIA | | CHTNREYULDSLLSLLNOHSNOSMRWXMNE |

| TPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAE | | WMTWNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOE | | TFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEYQHEENCTAYCR | | EIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLB | | TEEFOASFIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTI | | BSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGRIEWFEB | | AECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORIT | | RKLMLEHAGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHE | | ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?OBKR | | UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO | | TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP | | VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR | |-------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------| | Example of a Columnar Transposition | | | | Original message: "Cryptography is a useful tool for | | information protection" | | | | 7x7 Matrix: C R Y P T O G | | R A P H Y I S | | A U S E F U L | | T O O L F O R | | I N F O R M A | | T I O N P R O | | T E C T I O N | | | | Encrypted message: "CRATI TTRAU ONIEY | | PSOPO CPHEL ONTTY FFRPI OIUOM | | ROGSL RAONX" | | (made by reading down the columns, then breaking | | into 5-letter blocks. The last "X" is an arbitrary filler | | so the last group will also have 5 letters.) | | | |------------------------------------------------------------| Finally, the part of the message from "OBKRUO..." to the end may make use of a onetime system. Essentially, every character in the original message is encrypted using its own unique alphabet. This is a very secure cryptographic system, because if the alphabets used are selected at random, there is no pattern to follow for anyone trying to break the code. The other half of the sculpture may provide a clue as to which alphabets are used, however. It is an arrangement of the alphabet, known as a Vigenere Square, in which each successive row is shifted one place to the left (In this case, some of the letters are shifted in position to spell the word KRYPTOS), with reference alphabets along the top, bottom, and side. Though used in many ways, this table is very often used for one-time-pad encryption. For example, if someone wanted to encrypt the letter "G", and the key they were using was the letter "F", he would just look down column "G" to row "F" and would see that "G" becomes an,'E'. Since there are 26 rows and column on the Vigenere square, any letter can be encrypted as any other letter depending on the key used.

There is speculation that the other elements of Jim Sanborn's sculpture may hold clues to the cipher used in the message in the courtyard, but there is yet no proof. You may have noted the dots and dashes on the metal sheets between the granite slabs in front of the NHB (New Headquarters Building?) entrance; this is Morse Code, and there are five phrases: "DIGE TAL INTERPRETATU", "T IS YOUR POSITION", "VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE", "SHADOW FORCES", and "LUCID MEMORY". Also to be found are the letter combinations "SOS" and "RQ". In the case of the sculpture, cryptography is mainly an intriguing oddity; but cryptography has a very real role in the world of intelligence. (Information and sources need to be protected, and cryptography can afford that protection.) If you decide to tackle the cipher, good luck! We will attempt to keep you posted on any relevant developments as they arise. |---------------------------------| | The KRYPTOS Vigenere Table | | | | /ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD | | AKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP | | BRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPT | | CYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO | | DPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS | | ETOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSA | | FOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSAB | | GSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABC | | HABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCD | | IBCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDE | | JCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEF | | KDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFG | | LEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGH | | MFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHI | | NGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJ | | OHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL | | PIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLM | | QJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMN | | RLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQ | | SMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQU | | TNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUV | | UQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVW | | VUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWX | | WVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZ | | XWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZK | | YXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKR | | ZZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRY | | /ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD | |---------------------------------| /end of file/