NSA Cryptographers Defect: Cold War Security Shattered
Bernon Mitchell and William Martin, two cryptanalysts at the National Security Agency, defected to the Soviet Union in September 1960 after leaving the US on June 25, 1960. They held a press conference in Moscow revealing that the NSA routinely intercepted the communications of over 40 nations, including US allies. The defection was one of the most damaging intelligence failures of the Cold War, compromising multiple cryptographic operations. Both men had passed NSA background checks despite having histories that should have raised red flags. The embarrassment prompted a major overhaul of the NSA's personnel security procedures. Mitchell and Martin spent the rest of their lives in the Soviet Union; Martin eventually became disillusioned with Soviet life and reportedly tried to return to the US, but was denied. He died in Russia in 1987.
June 25, 1960
66 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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