Amateur cryptographers, often self-taught and passionate about puzzles, have long been drawn to the art of decryption. These enthusiasts typically lack formal training but possess a deep curiosity and the ability to think outside the box. The Kryptos sculpture, with its complex codes, has become a playground for these amateur cryptographers, who, fueled by determination and creativity, continue to attempt solving the enigma that has stumped professionals for decades.
The Kryptos sculpture, created by artist Jim Sanborn, remains one of the greatest enigmas of modern cryptography. In 1988, the feared and renowned CIA – the United States government’s primary intelligence and security agency – commissioned Sanborn to create a work of art for the Agency’s campus in Langley, Virginia. However, the piece he conceived went far beyond a simple decorative element. Inaugurated in November 1990, the sculpture, made of bronze and approximately four meters tall, is a true cryptographic masterpiece, challenging even today the best code analysts and decryption enthusiasts around the world.
The name “Kryptos” derives from the Greek term meaning “hidden” or “secret,” reflecting the intriguing nature of the piece. The sculpture features a panel with 865 characters engraved on a material that combines bronze and granite, forming four encoded messages. These messages were designed in collaboration with Edward Scheidt, a former chief cryptographer of the CIA, adding even more mystery and authenticity to the piece.
The first three parts of the code have been deciphered over the years, revealing complex messages that blend poetry, historical allusions, and cryptographic provocations:
First message: It was deciphered in 1999 and references the emergence of something hidden. It reads: “Between subtle shading and the absence of light lies the nuance of illusion.”
Second message: It contains a passage inspired by geographical coordinates and describes an excavation near the location of the sculpture.
Third message: It alludes to the famous coded message of archaeologist Howard Carter upon opening Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb: “It was totally covered with sand, as if it had never been used…”
The solutions to the first three messages were the result of parallel and independent efforts. David Stein, a CIA analyst, was the first to decipher them in 1998, using manual methods like pen and paper. However, his work remained unknown to the public until 1999, when it was revealed by the press. That same year, Jim Gillogly, an amateur cryptographer, also deciphered the messages, but by using a computer program he developed himself. Additionally, an internal group at the NSA also worked on the code, but their progress was not widely disclosed. The confusion over the credit for solving the messages stems from the fact that Stein’s work was internal, while Gillogly published his findings, making them known outside governmental circles.
The fourth and final message, however, remains undeciphered and represents a challenge that has persisted for more than three decades. Comprising 97 characters, it has frustrated even the most experienced cryptographers and mathematicians in the world. Jim Sanborn has provided some clues over the years to aid in the solution. In 2010, he revealed that characters 64 to 69 (“NYPVTT”) decode to the word “BERLIN.” In 2014, he added that the subsequent characters (“MZFPK”) correspond to “CLOCK.” These clues suggest a possible connection to the city of Berlin and the history of the Doomsday Clock or other historical events of the Cold War.
Sanborn stated that the complete solution to the puzzle can be achieved without additional clues, but progress has been limited. He has also made it clear that one day, if the solution is not reached, he plans to reveal the mystery in full.
The Kryptos sculpture has become an icon for both cryptographers and mystery enthusiasts, representing the fascinating intersection of art, mathematics, and espionage.
Just one year later, David Stein shared how he deciphered the hidden code of “Kryptos” in an article published by the CIA itself in its institutional journal. However, it was never fully disclosed until June 2013, when the National Security Archive announced its release. According to Stein, the first part of the “Kryptos” sculpture, which used a polyalphabetic substitution cipher with 10 different alphabetic modes, formed a poetic phrase by the artist Jim Sanborn, stating: “Between subtle shading and the absence of light lies the nuance of iqlusion [sic]” (where “iqlusion” contains an intentional misspelling).
The second part of the “Kryptos” message, in turn, used a periodic polyalphabetic substitution cipher with eight alphabets, which, when deciphered, translated to something like this:
“It was totally invisible. How’s that possible? They used the Earth’s magnetic field. x The information was gathered and transmitted underground to an unknown location. x Does Langley know about this? They should: It’s buried out there somewhere. x Who knows the exact location? Only WW. This was his last message. x Thirty-eight degrees fifty-seven minutes six point five seconds north, seventy-seven degrees eight minutes forty-four seconds west. Layer two. [It was totally invisible. How’s that possible? They used the Earth’s magnetic field. x The information was gathered and transmitted underground to an unknown location. x Does Langley know about this? They should: It’s buried out there somewhere. x Who knows the exact location? Only WW. This was his last message. x Thirty-eight degrees fifty-seven minutes six point five seconds north, seventy-seven degrees eight minutes forty-four seconds west. Layer two.]”
Recent documents have revealed that the letters “WW” in the second deciphered “Kryptos” message refer to William Webster, while the coordinates point to a location within the CIA premises. The meaning of “ID by lines,” however, remains undetermined, though it is not ruled out that it could be another intentional error designed to confuse cryptologists.
On the other hand, the third section of the code uses a columnar transposition cipher, which, when deciphered, presented a paraphrase from the diary of archaeologist Howard Carter. It describes the moment he opened the door to King Tutankhamun’s tomb on November 26, 1922:
“Slowly, desperately slowly, the remains of the passage debris that blocked the lower part of the doorway were removed. With trembling hands, I made a tiny breach in the upper left-hand corner. And then, widening the hole a little, I inserted the candle and peered in. The hot air escaping from the chamber caused the flame to flicker, but presently, details of the room within emerged from the mist. x Can you see anything? q [Slowly, desperately slowly, the remains of the passage debris still dominating the lower part of the portal were removed. With trembling hands, I made a small opening in the upper right corner. And then, widening the hole a bit, I placed a candle and took a look. The hot air escaping from the chamber made the flame flicker, but the inner details of the room emerged from the mist. x Can you see anything? q]”
Currently, the fourth section of the message in the Kryptos sculpture remains a mystery, as it has been for nearly three decades. Although recent CIA documents related to the decryption process claim that “ideas abound” regarding the possible pattern of the fourth section, the next 97 characters that make it up remain an enigma and “continue to elude a solution.” Surprised that analysts have not found a solution after all this time, in 2010, the artist Jim Sanborn revealed that six letters (NYPVTT), characters 64 to 69, form the word “BERLIN.” This clue may help cryptologists uncover the entire hidden message in the “Kryptos” sculpture. In any case, even if this final part could be deciphered, it remains to be seen what exactly the message of this enigmatic bronze artwork refers to: is it an arcane secret hidden in the very depths of the CIA’s headquarters, or is it, instead, a complex and ingenious mental puzzle crafted by the world’s most powerful and feared intelligence agency to keep its employees occupied?
For now, if any enlightened reader dares to attempt solving the pending enigma of the “Kryptos” sculpture, the fourth code, which still cannot be revealed – the fourth fragment commonly known as K4 – is as follows:
OBKR
UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO
TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP
VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR
THEY USED A SIMPLE SUBSTITUTION CIPHER TO ENCODE THIS MESSAGE BERLIN CLOCK WORKS AT MIDNIGHT
Hot times in the town of Berlin when the Yanks go marching in?