Amateur Codebreakers Solve 35-Year-Old CIA Mystery

A secret CIA code inscribed on a sculpture outside the agency’s Virginia headquarters has been cracked after remaining unsolved for 35 years. The final code, part of the Kryptos artwork, was deciphered by amateur codebreakers Jarret Kobek and Richard Byrne. The first three codes had been solved over two decades ago, but this last segment had challenged even the most skilled cryptologists.

The breakthrough occurred when Kobek and Byrne examined a collection of documents related to the sculpture’s creator, Jim Sanborn. According to The New York Times, Kobek, an author and journalist based in California, asked Byrne to retrieve the file from the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art in Washington, D.C. Byrne photographed the documents and shared them with Kobek.

While reviewing the materials, they discovered two scraps of paper containing the phrases “BERLIN CLOCK” and “EAST NORTHEAST.” These clues were indirectly referenced by Sanborn in articles for The New York Times in 2010 and 2014. Sanborn reportedly included the scraps by mistake while preparing to auction off various items, including the final code, expected to sell for approximately £372,000. The funds were intended to assist with his medical bills as he was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Shortly after the auction announcement, Kobek and Byrne informed Sanborn via email that they had cracked the code. In response, Sanborn requested that the Smithsonian close access to the files for the next 50 years. The codebreakers have agreed to keep the solution confidential to avoid potential legal issues, as auctioneers had been prepared to pursue a breach of copyright lawsuit, according to The New York Times.

The Kryptos sculpture was installed in the CIA headquarters courtyard in 1990. The first three codes—designated as K1, K2, and K3—were solved as early as 1999. The completion of the final code marks a significant achievement in the long-standing mystery surrounding this iconic piece of art and cryptography.