Kryptos is a sculpture located in a courtyard of the Langley campus of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. It was designed in 1990 by Jim Sanborn in collaboration with Ed Scheidt.
The main section has stenciled letters cut into four copper sheets, two on the left with ciphertext and two on the right with an alphabetic tableau.
EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJ
YQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD
VFPJUDEEHZWETZYVGWHKKQETGFQJNCE
GGWHKK?DQMCPFQZDQMMIAGPFXHQRLG
TIMVMZJANQLVKQEDAGDVFRPJUNGEUNA
QZGZLECGYUXUEENJTBJLBQCRTBJDFHRR
YIZETKZEMVDUFKSJHKFWHKUWQLSZFTI
HHDDDUVH?DWKBFUFPWNTDFIYCUQZERE
EVLDKFEZMOQQJLTTUGSYQPFEUNLAVIDX
FLGGTEZ?FKZBSFDQVGOGIPUFXHHDRKF
FHQNTGPUAECNUVPDJMQCLQUMUNEDFQ
ELZZVRRGKFFVOEEXBDMVPNFQXEZLGRE
DNQFMPNZGLFLPMRJQYALMGNUVPDXVKP
DQUMEBEDMHDAFMJGZNUPLGE[S]WJLLAETG
ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIA
CHTNREYULDSLLSLLNOHSNOSMRWXMNE
TPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAE
WMTWNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOE
TFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEYQHEENCTAYCR
EIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLB
TEEFOASFIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTI
BSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGRIEWFEB
AECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORIT
RKLMLEHAGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHE
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?OBKR
UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO
TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP
VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD
AKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP
BRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPT
CYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO
DPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS
ETOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSA
FOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSAB
GSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABC
HABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCD
IBCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDE
JCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEF
KDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFG
LEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGH
MFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHI
NGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL
OHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL
PIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLM
QJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMN
RLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQ
SMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQU
TNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUV
UQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVW
VUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWX
WVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZ
XWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZK
YXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKR
ZZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRY
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCD
The first section is the first two lines of the top left panel.
EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJ
YQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD
This is enciphered using a Vigenère scheme, based on the keyword 'palimpsest'. It uses the tabula recta from the sculpture, the alphabet rearranged to begin with the letters 'kryptos':
K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z
R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K
Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R
P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y
T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P
O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T
S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O
A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S
B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A
C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B
D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C
E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D
F G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E
G H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F
H I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G
I J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H
J L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I
L M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J
M N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L
N Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M
Q U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N
U V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q
V W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U
W X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V
X Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W
Z K R Y P T O S A B C D E F G H I J L M N Q U V W X
Using the repeating key 'palimpsest' to index the line from the tableau, and looking across to the ciphertext letter, the plaintext can be read off from the letter above it on the top line. For example, the first key letter 'P' gives the line beginning 'PTOSABC...', and the ciphertext letter 'E' is the 9th letter of that line; looking up to the 9th letter of the first line, gives the plaintext letter 'b'. Continuing on in this way:
PALIMPSESTPALIMPSESTPALIMPSESTPALIMPSESTPALIMPSESTPALIMPSESTPAL
EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJYQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD
betweensubtleshadingandtheabsenceoflightliesthenuanceofiqlusion
Making a spelling correction and adding punctuation:
"Between subtle shading and the absence of light lies the nuance of illusion"
The second section is the remainder of the top left panel.
VFPJUDEEHZWETZYVGWHKKQETGFQJNCE
GGWHKK?DQMCPFQZDQMMIAGPFXHQRLG
TIMVMZJANQLVKQEDAGDVFRPJUNGEUNA
QZGZLECGYUXUEENJTBJLBQCRTBJDFHRR
YIZETKZEMVDUFKSJHKFWHKUWQLSZFTI
HHDDDUVH?DWKBFUFPWNTDFIYCUQZERE
EVLDKFEZMOQQJLTTUGSYQPFEUNLAVIDX
FLGGTEZ?FKZBSFDQVGOGIPUFXHHDRKF
FHQNTGPUAECNUVPDJMQCLQUMUNEDFQ
ELZZVRRGKFFVOEEXBDMVPNFQXEZLGRE
DNQFMPNZGLFLPMRJQYALMGNUVPDXVKP
DQUMEBEDMHDAFMJGZNUPLGEWJLLAETG
This is enciphered using the same scheme, except using the keyword 'abscissa', with the same modified tableau. The question mark characters are not encrypted, and there is a letter 'S' which was omitted from the ciphertext near the end. The letter 'x' has been used as a stop.
ABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCI
VFPJUDEEHZWETZYVGWHKKQETGFQJNCEGGWHKK?
itwastotallyinvisiblehowsthatpossible?
SSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAAB
DQMCPFQZDQMMIAGPFXHQRLGTIMVMZJANQLVKQEDAGDVFRPJUNGEUNAQZGZLECGYUXUEENJTBJLBQCRTBJDFHRRYIZETKZEMVDUFKSJHKFWHKUWQLSZFTIHHDDDUVH?
theyusedtheearthsmagneticfieldxtheinformationwasgatheredandtransmittedundergruundtoanunknownlocationxdoeslangleyknowaboutthis?
SCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISS
DWKBFUFPWNTDFIYCUQZEREEVLDKFEZMOQQJLTTUGSYQPFEUNLAVIDXFLGGTEZ?
theyshoulditsburiedouttheresomewherexwhoknowstheexactlocation?
AABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAABSCISSAAB
FKZBSFDQVGOGIPUFXHHDRKFFHQNTGPUAECNUVPDJMQCLQUMUNEDFQELZZVRRGKFFVOEEXBDMVPNFQXEZLGREDNQFMPNZGLFLPMRJQYALMGNUVPDXVKPDQUMEBEDMHDAFMJGZNUPLGESWJLLAETG
onlywwthiswashislastmessagexthirtyeightdegreesfiftysevenminutessixpointfivesecondsnorthseventysevendegreeseightminutesfortyfoursecondswestxlayertwo
Using the letter 'x' as a stop, making a spelling correction and adding punctuation:
"It was totally invisible, how's that possible? They used the earth's magnetic field. The information was gathered and transmitted underground to an unknown location. Does Langley know about this? They should, it's buried out there somewhere. Who knows the exact location? Only W.W., this was his last message. 38°57'6.5''N 77°8'44''W . Layer two"
The initials 'W.W.' refer to the former CIA director William Webster, and Langley is the metonym for the CIA itself. The coordinates are reasonably close to the location of the sculpture.
The third section is the bottom left panel up until the question mark.
ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIA
CHTNREYULDSLLSLLNOHSNOSMRWXMNE
TPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAE
WMTWNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOE
TFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEYQHEENCTAYCR
EIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLB
TEEFOASFIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTI
BSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGRIEWFEB
AECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORIT
RKLMLEHAGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHE
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW?
This is enciphered using a transposition cipher. There are several ways to describe the decryption.
The simplest description is to reverse the text including the question mark, select every 192nd letter (rotating through the text in a loop), and then reverse the result.
A more visual way is to treat it as successive (and unkeyed) columnar ciphers, where the number of columns for each multiply to 192 and are divisible into the 336 character length (for example, 16 and 12 columns).
ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIACHTNREYULDSLLSLLNOHSNOSMRWXMNETPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAEWMTWNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOETFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEYQHEENCTAYCREIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLBTEEFOASFIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTIBSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGRIEWFEBAECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORITRKLMLEHAGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHEECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW
First arranging into 16 columns:
ENDYAHROHNLSRHEO
CPTEOIBIDYSHNAIA
CHTNREYULDSLLSLL
NOHSNOSMRWXMNETP
RNGATIHNRARPESLN
NELEBLPIIACAEWMT
WNDITEENRAHCTENE
UDRETNHAEOETFOLS
EDTIWENHAEIOYTEY
QHEENCTAYCREIFTB
RSPAMHHEWENATAMA
TEGYEERLBTEEFOAS
FIOTUETUAEOTOARM
AEERTNRTIBSEDDNI
AAHTTMSTEWPIEROA
GRIEWFEBAECTDDHI
LCEIHSITEGOEAOSD
DRYDLORITRKLMLEH
AGTDHARDPNEOHMGF
MFEUHEECDMRIPFEI
MEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW
and reading off columns from right to left to give an intermediate ciphertext:
OALPNTESYBASMIAIDHFIWEILTLMNLETMARNOHSEGEHHASESWEOTFAOADRDOLMFORNLNEETFYITFODEDAMHPDSHLMPACTOEAETEITELOIVLSSXRCHEIRNEOSPCOKERTNYDWAAAOECETEBWEGRNMRHDLRRIREAYWBAIEAETPDTOIUMNINAHAELUTTBTIDCTRBYSHPEHNTHRTRSEIRRESHIEOILENECHEENMFSOAESAORNTBTTWNMEUTTWHLHHLYENSAEIEIEAYTRTEIDDUNDTTHGLDRTEPGOEHIEYTEHNPHONENDDHSEIEARCRGFEECCNRNWUEQRTFAAGLDAMM
Then arranging into 12 columns:
OALPNTESYBAS
MIAIDHFIWEIL
TLMNLETMARNO
HSEGEHHASESW
EOTFAOADRDOL
MFORNLNEETFY
ITFODEDAMHPD
SHLMPACTOEAE
TEITELOIVLSS
XRCHEIRNEOSP
COKERTNYDWAA
AOECETEBWEGR
NMRHDLRRIREA
YWBAIEAETPDT
OIUMNINAHAEL
UTTBTIDCTRBY
SHPEHNTHRTRS
EIRRESHIEOIL
ENECHEENMFSO
AESAORNTBTTW
NMEUTTWHLHHL
YENSAEIEIEAY
TRTEIDDUNDTT
HGLDRTEPGOEH
IEYTEHNPHONE
NDDHSEIEARCR
GFEECCNRNWUE
QRTFAAGLDAMM
and again reading off columns from right to left:
slowlydesparatlyslowlytheremainsofpassagedebristhatencumberedthelowerpartofthedoorwaywasremovedwithtremblinghandsimadeatinybreachintheupperlefthandcornerandthenwideningtheholealittleiinsertedthecandleandpeeredinthehotairescapingfromthechambercausedtheflametoflickerbutpresentlydetailsoftheroomwithinemergedfromthemistxcanyouseeanythingq
Using the letter 'x' as a stop and the letter 'q' as a question mark, making spelling corrections and adding punctuation:
"Slowly, desperately slowly, the remains of passage debris that encumbered the lower part of the doorway was 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. Can you see anything?"
This text is derived from Howard Carter's account of the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
The fourth section is the remainder of the bottom left panel.
OBKR
UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO
TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP
VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR
The enciphering method is unknown, but clues have been given that FLRVQQPRNGKSS decrypts to eastnortheast, and NYPVTTMZFPK decrypts to