How did the CIA exploit Crypto AG devices for intelligence gathering?

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CIA Exploited Crypto AG Devices for Global Intelligence Gathering

The United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), in conjunction with the National Security Agency (NSA), covertly controlled the Swiss firm Crypto AG, manipulating its encryption devices to access the communications of over 120 countries, including Malaysia. These devices, which countries purchased believing they offered secure communication, were intentionally designed with backdoors, allowing the CIA and NSA to easily decrypt sensitive information. This operation, codenamed "Thesaurus" and later "Rubicon," provided significant intelligence advantages to the US.
Compromised Encryption Devices Sold Globally

Crypto AG, leveraging its post-World War II reputation, sold its encryption devices to governments worldwide, including nations in Southeast Asia like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The devices were presented as a means to secure diplomatic and governmental communications from foreign adversaries. However, the CIA, which gained full control of the company from its German partner, the BND, in the 1990s, ensured these machines contained vulnerabilities that facilitated decryption.
Access to Critical Global Communications

The intelligence coup allowed the CIA and NSA to monitor a vast array of global communications. This access proved instrumental in significant geopolitical events, such as providing insights during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. Furthermore, the US shared intelligence derived from these compromised devices with allies, notably channeling Argentinian communications to British forces during the Falklands War.
"Intelligence Coup of the Century"

A classified report on the operation described it as the "intelligence coup of the century," highlighting the immense value derived from unsuspecting nations paying for the privilege of having their communications compromised. Former intelligence officials, such as Bobby Ray Inman, a former NSA director and CIA deputy director, have stated that the program was an exceptionally valuable source of intelligence on critical regions for US policymakers. Crypto AG was eventually liquidated in 2018, but the implications of its compromised technology continued to affect global intelligence landscapes for decades.

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How did the CIA exploit Crypto AG devices for intelligence gathering?

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