Secret NSA documents reveal that the agency promoted the Data Encryption Standard (DES) in the 1970s despite knowing its vulnerabilities to eliminate competition. The NSA also exploited export-law exceptions in the 1990s to favor RC4 and RSA-512, compromised random number generator standards, and maintained a substantial budget to influence security standards through the 2010s.
blog.cr.yp.to
11 min
7/6/2026
Secret NSA documents reveal that the agency promoted the Data Encryption Standard (DES) in the 1970s despite knowing its vulnerabilities to eliminate competition. The NSA also exploited export-law exceptions in the 1990s to favor RC4 and RSA-512, compromised random number generator standards, and maintained a substantial budget to influence security standards through the 2010s.
blog.cr.yp.to
11 min
7/6/2026
Secret NSA documents reveal that the agency promoted the Data Encryption Standard (DES) in the 1970s despite knowing its vulnerabilities to eliminate competition. The NSA also exploited export-law exceptions in the 1990s to favor RC4 and RSA-512, compromised random number generator standards, and maintained a substantial budget to influence security standards through the 2010s.
blog.cr.yp.to
11 min
7/6/2026
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