The Secret Behind CIA’s ‘Kryptos’ Sculpture: Who Holds the Key to National Security Mysteries?

For over three decades, the “Kryptos” sculpture at CIA headquarters stood as a symbol of America’s enduring battle against shadowy threats—a mysterious puzzle designed by artist Jim Sanborn to celebrate and challenge the secretive world of intelligence. But now, this emblem of American ingenuity and cryptographic prowess faces an uncertain future.Sanborn’s creation, a striking 10-foot copper S-shaped screen embedded with four encrypted messages, was intended as a playful yet profound tribute to codebreaking. While three sections fell quickly to experts and hobbyists alike, the fourth section—known simply as K4—has defied all attempts to decode it, capturing imaginations worldwide and embodying...