This document is made available through the declassification efforts and research of John Greenewald, Jr., creator of: The Black Vault
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Discover the Truth at: http://www.theblackvault.com Central Intelligence Agency
W•ashington, D.C. 20505
20 July 2017
Mr. John Greenewald The Black Vault
Reference: F-2016-00621
Dear Mr. Greenewald:
In the course of processing your 19 September 2014 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for Intellipedia entry(s) for Kryptos Sculpture, the National Security Agency located CIA material and referred it to us on 8 December 2015 for review and direct response to you.
We have determined that one document can be released in segregable form with deletions made on the basis ofFOIA exemption (b)(3). A copy of the document and an explanation of exemptions are enclosed. Exemption (b)(3) pertains to information exempt from disclosure by statute. The relevant statutes are Section 6 of the Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949, as amended, and Section 102A(i)(l) of the National Security Act of 1947, as amended. As the CIA Information and Privacy Coordinator, I am the CIA official responsible for this determination. You have the right to appeal this response to the Agency Release Panel, in my care, within 90 days from the date of this letter. Please include the basis of your appeal.
If you have any questions regarding our response, you may contact us at:
Central Intelligence Agency Washington, DC 20505 Information and Privacy Coordinator 703-613-3007 (Fax)
Please be advised that you may seek dispute resolution services from the CIA's FOIA Public Liaison or from the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) of the National Archives and Records Administration. OGIS offers mediation services to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies. You may reach CIA's FOIA Public Liaison at:
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Contacting the CIA's FOIA Public Liaison or OGIS does not affect your right to pursue an administrative appeal.
Sincerely,
Allison Fong Information and Privacy Coordinator
Enclosures Explanation of Exemptions
Freedom of Information Act:
(b)(l) exempts from disclosure information currently and properly classified, pursuant to an Executive Order;
(b )(2) exempts from disclosure information which pertains solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of the Agency;
(b )(3) exempts from disclosure information that another federal statute protects, provided that the ·other federal statute either requires that the matters be withheld, or establishes particular criteria for withholding or refers to particular types of matters to be withheld. The (b )(3) statutes upon which the CIA relies include, but are not limited to, the CIA Act of 1949;
(b)( 4) exempts from disclosure trade secrets and commercial or financial information that is obtained from a person and that is privileged or confidential;
(b)(5) exempts from disclosure inter-and intra-agency memoranda or letters that would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with the agency;
(b)( 6) exempts from ~isclosure information from personnel and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy;
(b )(7) exempts from disclosure information compiled for law enforcement purposes to the extent that the production of the information (A) could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings; (B) would deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication; (C) could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy; (D) could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source or, in the case of information compiled by a criminal law enforcement authority in the course of a criminal investigation or by an agency conducting a lawful national security intelligence investigation, information furnished by a confidential source ; (E) would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions if such disclosure could reasonably be expected to risk circumvention of the law; or (F) could reasonably be expected to endanger any individual's life or physical safety;
(b )(8) exempts from disclosure information contained in reports or related to examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by, or on behalf of, or for use of an agency responsible for regulating or supervising financial institutions; and
(b )(9) exempts from disclosure geological and geophysical information and data, including maps, concerning wells.
April2012 C06498615 Approved for Release: 2017/07/18 C06498615 --- - ~-- 1 ...... ------~ --... ------. :-·_.:..,...... (bi (J)-P.;· 86-3~ _ (b)(3) ~ryptos Sculpture ii ~ ~ ~;8 ~~ - ~ From lntellipedia
You have:new UWS$'!-ges (l~st . change). 0 Kryp(o$:js the - ~!Ull~ of tb¢ (b)(3) sculptl.ire by James·Sari~om.in the : ~er' Cafeteria ·courtyard Qfthe CIA headqu<,lrters building in Langley, Vrrgi,r}ia. It was'dedicated.on:November ~; i 990.lts.. O),Q~(pi:bnrirlen{ieature 1s an eight-foot..;higi(S-shaped .screen with chara~ters · as shoWn in-the.,graphics (below} which_ -Jll(}.ke .~pJo~ ·.encrypted . messageswhic.l;lpo~.d a ¢hall¢nge-to many· analysts·for several xeats. D References·to Kryptos ar~d~cluded on the-front :and back covers of Dan BJ"Qwn!~ boPk:, J71e Da VincrCO.de .. ·T.he.re.is 5pe9_ttlation ~ foitllcoviiflg book may featur¢·the mystery· surtounding'tbe kryptos Sculpture·. O tn No.vembetof ~2,QI~. in o~der to speed up. tbe :Process of:~etcln~ th~ :_pi.Lt.lle s<>lved, Sanbompro.vided (b)( 3) 'The N~w York Tline~ -~th th~ : aoswer~ t9 si)cJe.rlers in ,the SC_\llptures:final pas~ge. The-.c.haraC:teJ:S that are the · 6.4th'· tbJ~;iugh ·69th in the final series 9n th~ ·sculptl,rre .. read NYPvrr. When deciphered, they r~ad BERiJN. (I]
IContents . l • · t:·~--~tos" Story · • 2-Abbut .'the Arli~t • 3 The ·Scu~P.t~te ~ ~r:Crac}9ng the Code • 5 - See , aJ~ ' • 5.. i Inieli.rik. • $;1 Internet ._____·_6 Referenc~-j
I of7
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Before the New H~~dquarters . Building (NHB) was fmished in .· 1.991, thought was ~ given to enhancing the new s.t;ructw:e. wjJ]) ~ofk th~~ - wa~ not QnlY pJellsing .to the eye, but : mdica~iv~ pf.the Central lntelligcmce · Agency:'s work. l_!n4er Fede:rai con~ucl,ion ;~ge ,Jin¢s, a· small portion of the cost ofthe new building·was set'a5Me to coi1llilis5.ion Qriginal art ·for the structure.
To achieve the goal ofacquiring fitting artwork for NHB, the <;::lA Fine Arts Commission recommended that t_he .Agenqy - ~tilize Ute ~ervices: .ofth~ . Art-in-Architecture progntm of.the General ~rvic.es Adm.iJJistration (G.SA). This is a Fe~eral prQgram whjc~ ll.~s m_an~ged tb~ · ~r.~ation.Q.f cqniemp_grary ~rt for Goverilrnent :buil
Before starting the task,:the.Agency .. side.of ibejoint te~ developed a 'Statement of Principles:
"People -: ~e ~the prinCipal r¢.~w-ce)ofme . Cerit,ral lntellig~nc.e Ag~m;y, It is . ~heir : intellecfual and pbysical energies that l!-ltimately provi~e the national poijcylnakers with ·:superior information_and an~yses-~-th~ .ba$is :to fonnulate po)icies·.necessary to ·maintain this. country~s p_ositlon in the :worlQ, An e$$etic:!illY plea~ing work· ~~vironmenbit~its Headqi.Ulrters is an in)partant:sthnulus to the efforts . oftho5e ~ oflicers assigned here _. " ·
They aiso. fisted these:·key thoughtS:
• Art ·at the: qA . s~ould" reflecdife . iiralUtSposltive aspects. · • JQih.ould. · ~ng~nder Je~lings of well-being, hope, • it: should - be ~ forceful in .sl)!le and manner. · • ltsl1() _~9 be -worldly ..yet .have identifiable American roots in concept, matenals, . r~presentation, and so fortl:t. · ·
These priQCiples ~te the , gui~~liries thantrti~s foilowed as·they comp_eted for Uie·$2:50;060 cotnmis5ion to design artwork fo.r;·the:New Headquarters 'Build.ing. The-combined :NEA •and CIA panel evaluated each ~1:1~ !lfl4., in Nov,ember~l9.8~, cbose 19C@l ~ftisi . JWP,e~ · Sanbq,ni!s · coricep~ion of"KryptQS;, (Gi'e~k for · <~~idl:feri''),'' a, . two~.P~ ,·s.cu!pture lo.Cate.d at th~ main eritra,nce to NHB arid in the courtyard between NHB .am:J the Origin.al Headql!-arters Bulldiiig-(01-fBj <;!lfete~ia.
About·the -Artist
James ·Sanborn 1s a Washingtont.o:c:,' bom artist ·With a Bacpelor ofArts degree WP~ . Ran~<)lph-rvtaccm Co~lege !Uid a Mast~r of.Eine Arts.frorn Pratt.J:nstitute. Mr. ~bprn :is . noted'for -hls w.o.rk with American stone and.related mat~rild .~that - evoke a. sense ofmystery and the forces ·ofnat.ll;fe. . . ,. ..
To W..ve · ~ape :~o "l<.ry.p.to~;''· : SaribQrn chose :.po~sbed re<.tgt:anite; quam, c~pperplate,l<;>de~on~, an.d petrified wood •.Aftehead~g eXtensively on the . suJ>ject.offutei_lig.;nc¢:· ~d Ci'yptogtapby, Mr: :Sanborn decidtd'to interpret-the. subjecdn terms ·of.how·informatio'ri ·is accrued:thi'oughotit the ages. In·the case of the ·two-part sculpture, infortnation is symbolized In the chemical and physical effects that produced the ·
9/2312014 8:56 ~ ·
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~~Inti~~ · ..- -.. --· UUGl.U :· ·· ~z:>~636 . ______.::.-.- - -~~ ·- Tbl (3) -P. L. 86-36 materials and in otl:ter more literal ways. To produce the ·co.de for "Kiyptos;" Mt. 'Sanborn worked for 'four n'loriths with a retired 'CIA cryptographer, I Ito d~v.i~cr the.codes u~ .d in the ·sclilpture. Mr. Sanborn wrote the textto be coded in (b )(3) collaboration with :a prominent liction writer.
The Sculpture
At lh~ entr~n~e:to . th~ ~ew. Hea,dq~rte.rsJ>uilding, the sculpt~~ begins w1th two re.d iro!IJ.he and copperplate eon$'U_s:tiof1~ ~hich . flank'tl.le walkway from t~e pa(k.ing d~clc.. These , $ton.es , ~pp~ar as pages· jutting from the.earih.With .copperplate ' ib~tweenthe pages' on which ·.thete·are threepbrase·s··in · International Mor~ : code{~.. irtuplly 'invisible,:shadowforces, and lucid mem(!ry) and ancient dphers. There ·is ~lSQ_ a Iodest~me.· (a natura.lly..magnetized rock) co-located With:a.navjgational compass ro.se er;t~.ved in ·a :stone slab. q:be ·engraved ico1Tlpci~J)eedie .poin~s ·a:t ·th~ ~oc;t~stone.,nof:a~ . m~goetic_ nort}l.ln the courtyard-, a · calm~.tefiective ·pc;ol of water .lies between two layerecl sl~bs o:f:· gt~te arid taJl ~s~es : D1rectJy .acrossfrom this'is.the centerpieceof'~Kry.ptos;" 'a . piece of petrifled·wood SlJpporting an S-shaped copper ·- screen :surrounding a b.ubbling.pool of.water:·
• 'The·petrifie,f,tree .. 5ymbp~s th~ .:tr.e~s tl!at once. -~oo.d on the site Q'ftbe scUlpture and .that. were the source ·of'rilaterial.s'•on which written l~mguage haS ~een recorde4. • 'Tb~ , bubbling pool symbolizes informa~ion being disseininated 'with the destination being unknown. • ·The copperplate.·sc:r.een ha~ appro~·imately : ~,Od.O 81p,habetic letters .cut into it.
The sc:ulptt!rej~ ' like a histQry·of cryptography; TheJeft side ofthe copp~t~ screen, _ the first two seciions,·is-a table.for-dedphering and enciphermg.code, a method.develqped by th~ 16th century Frenc-h cryptographer Bl~~~, d~Nigene~e. The.·Vigenere method ~ substltutes letters througboU:t:ihe mes~ge by shiftipg from .one alpbat?et~n:der tg anoU1envith. ~.ach Jetter.. ofthe key._Part of the rlght , ~ide of-the ~cuJpiure u~~ the table frorn the .'left side,·apd ajlot~er portion. u~s ·the ·cryptographic·method ·pftransposing ·le.tters .or changii:tg their·position in a: ·ine~g~ aecording t(> whatever ~e.thod the ·writer · devt~d .. I , .
\.. Jame~::Sap.bom .once said ''They will be.· able lo read what I wrote, but what I ·Wl'ote is a mystery itself.;, Only time Will teli ifthe :f'mal message to:this ~uiti~1ayered puzZle :is ever revealed.
Cracking tbe.·Co.de
Q~g . the t~o_ure of r 1· ·-a·<> 0~ =~ ~~.:::;:::"' ~:; · ==;:.',;'=· co::.~~-=::-:::: ::-.::-.==-:::::-;;·: :e""- ~==---- . - - ·-c=;;~b )(3) DCI Willi~ Webster, · ll. li H !l. artist James sanborn 1 1( . o .:o · c:::~o co o = o C)~ o Qq> .o cc :1 gave Judge 'Webster' a .(!, 2 ! II ~ 0 .ci 0 c::> \'10 ""Q'(IQ '¢;)-00 ~ <>t:;:) i 5ealed :envelope with. the --decryption ~i~e, jl 0 Q 13 o !1 ' ·o_().'l.' ~ : o= - ~t:;t fi e::;;;~ ¢;n~Q> <>Oo l·· H3a.. 9' '0; coc;.e 6 ·06 &oc c:;:,-o coo(! coo o !1 chaliertging all visitql"S fr q to. so )v,e ...th e p.uzzl · e [21. ~~~~- o Got::::) · o~~ o (1 oe!:> 4 -o o~>.o · o<> ·<:::Joo <;> Od· o o o- o <1 a v~ !I l3bo. OQ·O"•O ~c · 9~ :~qd4 · 00 ~CIO 0 Cc:ld CHf ~PCIO iJ ~~ \ ll . '
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~dtlr! ~ llii42~~ 6'36 ~:~~~:~t~~::hered ~-~ors:_~odeon ~~~= ~jF======;-I'L .. ____(~ )(~~~~ ~:::~b )(3) erupted' in the crypto · wor:ld assqme ofth~ l>:e.s.~·-an4 wa~kiest-- .ccyptanalyiic : talent set to work. .But it.took them more than seven · year~, not the .few 'mont.hs - ~born had expectect,:to crack : sec.tion~ K 1,,1<2, ·.and K3. (b)(3)
O At long : la~t ; an Ag~ncy ailaly~ came forward with the· ~Y. t~ crack most ·of the (t(b)(3) code\ \a 01/0TI air-defense ·laser analyst, :spent ~00 hours working-_by hand o.n his.own·,timc;:. ln. an:hour-loog·presentation-he revealed hi_s.partial.solution. to a PC!c.ked He _adquaqer~ A!.!.ditoriurn on 2Q _Marc,b l~98 , · Tbe - pr.e~enJa,tio_n \Y~S entitled Cracking the Courtyard CryptoJlexplained the:me.thods he used in (t(b)(3) decodiJ1g the maj9rity ofthe messa_ge, re'Vearr~ · content~ and·iJii,IStrate hoW· ~an~Jysis . canJoster · creat~ve .p,obiem solv.iJ1g. l1l. I (b)(3) L_Jol4 Wbafs, N¢w_~ that d~g ·~~ -4.90 hours.he But if anyone ·· e _"(pect~ that ·solv.4tg the frrst .-three .sections woUld lead to ·a quick :resolution of the ; whoie' · puzzle~ their hopes were soon dashed. The . p~al solutions only deepened the confusion. ·· Kl is a passage Wr:irt~n : by 'Sanborn. "I tried ·to make ;it sound :gqod and _ he :- inscrutab.le - enou.~ t9 be ~ter.es(~g," .~e . say~. .Judge for yoj.lrs_¢if how w~-~~ _he 5fi&:• .-aeiween S!l_btle :~hading ar14. the - ab5e~ce qfllght lies th.e n!Jiu1ce ofiqlusion. II Yes,,i iqlu,s~o.it- - oQe of several misspelling$ that: &nbom says are .: intentional. The ·se·cond section .reads1ike ·a ,fei~graph transmission. 'there's·a .reference .to .a ~gnetic fie~d ancJ. ih(o~tiqn tr~smittea to - ~ : s~~iti~ la.titu~e andJopgitude- geo-coqtdlriates.for ·a-iocati,on a co1.1pl~ · ofhundred feet•south ofthe ~u!pttiJ'e · i~~l.f(a ~ spot where no~hlnR ol~pparentiinteresiH~$).Pl . . _10 p~phr~~s a . 4ili}:y:-~ntry · of~@'9po]qgi_st;Howa-!4 C.art~r ftom.tij~ : I n2 dis~qyeiy of~g Tut's tot.Pb,;ending:Wiih a questionr ''.Can you see :anything?" When Giilogiyturlled:: up:that . p~~e, 'h€;.says, ~~ ,- had "-the same ~xcitemenfand ex4i~Hon.J}:la~ C~er~ de_scr~~ci. In a w~y~ it !!~e~ thaqhe plaiJltext'is ~fmetap~or fodbe work ofth~ _code •bre&ker,.or'perhaps ofthe .CIA itseir:•.ol4l . ~~ ·.')7 C, tianl.Ct~rs of.W,4 . ~main .unpenetrable. They haV~ -:be,C9~, as 4of7 9/2312014 8:56 AN Approved for Release: 2017/07/18 C06498615 C06498615 Approved for Release: 2017/07/18 C06498615 · t~------~~~_...... ~..;.,.._.:.---· ··· --··=· · ·--~~-·~ 1 Tbl (3)-P.L. 86-36 Randy Thp,mpso11, ~ 43. ',year-o1~ physici§t who has devote,(:ftlu'ee ye~rs : to .the problem: "I thin:k I'm ·onto the solution}' .he sa:ys. "It could happen tomorrow, or it could take the rest ofiny life ." MeB;OwhiJe, some ~fthe ~ekers are. getting tired: ·~t just want to_:see·itsolved;'' .says Elonka Dunin, a.'SO-year-olci Bt. Louis gamt! developer who runs· a·'clearinghouSe site·for Kryptos information and:gossip. "1 wantit.offmy plate;;,[S] Making the elfqrl more·cmpplicated isthe {~ct that.l.be p_~e maker is.a .live :.and, in theQry at least~ a·poteriilal resource. For yeats, :there ha5 been a delicate .pas ae deux between·the artist an~ the rabid Kryptos community. Everywor.d Sanboi:n utters i.s eagerly examined for rchin=· =ts=·- But . f!t Intel ink • Kf:yptos Virt~l To~r 9 '(see (b)(3) ln~met) L------~ • <;::IA Center forth~ · · Study of.lntelligence, The:·Pl!zzl¢ at.CIA Headgl!arters: Cracking.the Gourty'ard Crypt9 (l(b)(3) ~------,-1 Internet • "Mi5sion hnpossibie: The Code·Evtm the .CIACan't C~ck," :·steven Levy, WIRED,,May 2009 • Wikipedia: !'l 9/23i2014'8:56 AM Approved for Release: 2017/07/18 C06498615 C06498615 Approved for Release: 2017/07/18 C06498615 _. .... -:--" . .,:. .. .-:---·-:"'" __ ,...... ---....- l. tKryptos·Ch.ie. Reveaied, New. York Tunes via IC Blqg. .22 N~y~m,Q.e.r. ~iOl(}.- -~ --.. ~ rb)~( 3_l - ·P. 1 . 86-36 I -- 1 --~-· -.. · . 2. t 2·0 ~ . t 2'2 • at's nie Secret of.the Kryptos SCulpture?Fiil.d.()ut·on March 26 (b)(3) · ,What's'News, March 16; 1998 c:::======(b)(3) +-.--..-.r.==-.==~~~~~e.Eve .t · (b)(3) (b)(3) (b )(3)~) (b)(3)~) (b )(3)~) (b)(3)3) . 't .I I if ! __ ! l:.eft ..Side ·.Text·of · Right Side Text·of Kryptos Kiy.pto~ \ll 6'of7 9f23i2014. 8:56. AN Approved for Release: 2017/07/18 C06498615 C064 98615 Approved for Release: 2017/07/18 C06498615 Wt;tlf:- "lrn~~~~84 6 3 6: ------·· ·-.:--·-- (b)(3) I IL Ll ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--~~~-___j ______Jr - -~-w;;:;;·=-p. L. ··"" liniptdwebl2j 7of7 9123h014 8:56 AN Approved for Release: 2017/07/18 C06498615