Cryptome, the Web Site You Don’t Know About But Need to Know About

October 28, 2012

Tags: CIA, Cryptome, NSA
Posted in: Democracy, Embassy/State, Other Ideas

Actually, if you already know about Cryptome, sorry, this blog post isn’t for you. Move along, pal, nothing new.

But if you’re interested in national security issues, and particularly if you prefer to study primary source documentation and make up your own mind about things, take a look at Cryptome. The site is w-a-y old school, just a page of links in good old HTML 101. They’ve been online since 1996 and serve as a repository of documents and information, some leaked, some obtained via FOIA. Cryptome was Wikileaks decades before Wikileaks.

For example, Cryptome currently offers aerial views of the CIA’s basic training facility (swanky), Camp Peary in Virginia, with its shooting ranges, driving track and own airstrip.

Following the incident in Benghazi? Cryptome has overhead images of the compound and surrounding neighborhood.

Readers are intended to be critical consumers, as Cryptome offers no commentary or validation. A list of allegded CIA agents and front companies, for example, seems overly broad, but you be the judge.

The web site also focuses on the NSA, cryptography and publishes interesting albeit open source U.S. government documents aplenty. For anyone with such documents to share, Cryptome is happy to receive them, and includes irs PGP key on the site.

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