THE existence of numerous online platforms makes it very likely that situations similar to that involving the US CIA’s use of a Swiss encryption company to spy on more than 120 countries for five decades are happening, a retired British intelligence officer told the Sputnik news agency.

On Tuesday, The Washington Post newspaper and German broadcaster ZDF published reports on their joint investigation, revealing that the CIA and West German intelligence (BND) secretly owned Swiss firm Crypto AG between 1970 and 1993, with the American agency remaining a secret owner until 2018, when the company was liquidated.

The identities of the firm’s shareholders are kept secret by Liechtenstein laws. Crypto AG, founded in 1952, had been selling sophisticated equipment to governments all over the world.

“Switzerland’s secure encrypted service, Protonmail, is probably the most popular in the world right now. Its founders all come from CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), which is also in Switzerland,” said the former MI6 officer, using the pseudonym Nicholas Anderson, when asked whether users of encrypted online services and mobile apps can be spied on.

“And, their service is free. When you see anything ‘free’, you know deep down that they are profiting in a different way. So of course, the repetition of this story is already under way.

“There are many others that are operational. For example, Hushmail in Ireland and Canada.

“The only way in this day and age to keep secrets safe is (to keep them) verbalised between one person and another, inside a secure white-noise room.

“As you well know, once anything is passed to a third person, then it is no longer a secret.”

Crypto’s clients included Iran, Latin American countries, India, Pakistan and even the Vatican, said the reports.

Russia and China, on the other hand, steered clear of the company’s equipment.

Switzerland, famous for its policy of neutrality, has said it is investigating the espionage allegations.

“Obviously, Switzerland has always been known for keeping secrets, both in its legal system and morally,” said the ex-spy.

“Historically, it’s how the country makes its money… People in the secrecy business need to live where they feel safe from prosecution.”

The Post said Crypto’s products are still in use in more than a dozen nations, and that both the CIA and BND declined to comment on its story. – Bernama, February 13, 2020.