CIA-controlled firm sold cracked encryption machines to Malaysia, others
Malaysia and over 120 other countries bought rigged encryption devices from a Swiss company secretly controlled by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and which allowed the spy outfit to listen in on their communications.
(MMO) – According to the Washington Post, the devices were ostensibly designed to hide the communications of a country’s espionage and diplomatic corps as well as government officials from the prying eyes of other nations, but secretly compromised to let the CIA easily decipher such material.
Building off its reputation as the firm behind code-making devices for the US troops in the Second World War, Crypto AG became the go-to company for encryption devices that countries trusted to keep their lines of communication secure.
The firm made its fortune selling the devices all over the world including to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam in the region.
Singapore, a prominent US ally, was notably not a customer of Crypto AG, nor were any of the US’ main intelligence partners in the Five Eyes.
