Crypto

EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS - JANUARY 30:CX-52 is a mechanical pin-and-lug cipher machine developed by Boris Hagelin around 1952 in Switzerland, in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, on Thursday, January 30, 2020. The machine is part of the collection of Marc Simons and Paul Reuvers, who are the founders of the Crypto Museum. According to their website, "the main goal of the Crypto Museum is to preserve history. This is done by collecting, restoring, and describing historical cipher machines - such as the well-known Enigma machine - spy radio sets, intercept receivers and other spy-related stuff." Crypto AG, a predecessor of Crypto International, was a Swiss company that emerged from World War II with complex and secure code-breaking machines. The firm made hundreds of millions of dollars, selling equipment to nearly 130 countries. What none of those customers ever knew was that Crypto AG was secretly owned by the CIA in a highly classified partnership with German intelligence. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)