The CIA Cryptonym Project, the "decoder ring" for CIA records on this website, just got a major upgrade.

CIA documents are full of cryptonyms - GPFOCUS, LIENVOY, AMBIDDY-1, and many more, which are code names for organizations, projects, and individuals. In 2008, the MFF created a page which documented the meaning of many of these.

Cracking the Codes: CIA Cryptonyms 2.0

This project now has some new features:

• Expanded Information. Each crypt now has its own page, with expanded information, including a discussion section, notes regarding each of the documents cited, "see also" links to related crypts, and more.
• Searchable. The search results page now has a new "Cryptonym Database" results section
• New Additions. The main crypt page's sidebar shows which crypts have been recently added or edited. Check there for updates.
• Live-Linked from Documents. When viewing CIA documents, known crypts are underlined right on the scanned page. Click to instantly see the project page for that crypt.

Use these tools to take the mystery out of CIA records.

A Collaborative Project

These brand-new crypts have just been added: AMPANIC-7, AMSANTA, JMARC, JMATE, LIANCHOR, and QKENCHANT. Thanks to contributors Carmine Savastano, Dr. Juan B. Giusti, Jerry Randall, Jerry Shinley, Larry Hancock, Matthew Scheufele, and Peter Dale Scott.

The project now has 181 crypts. The MFF has a backlog of submissions to work through, so expect new crypts to be added over the coming weeks and months. Also, currently only half of the existing crypts have had the expanded information added to them; the rest will be completed in the coming weeks.

If you know the meaning of a crypt not in the database, please send an email to info@maryferrell.org. Remember that this project is documentation, not speculation -- include links to documents which back up the crypt identification. Thanks!

Your CIA Records Decoder Ring: How to Use It

The main crypt page is available from the MFF menubar. Under the Resources menu, find the "CIA Cryptonyms" item. Clicking it takes you to the main project page:

www.maryferrell.org/php/cryptdb.php

Note the sidebar, which shows recently added or updated crypts. The main body of the page is a listing, showing each crypt and a brief definition. To find out more, either:

• Click the arrow next to the crypt name, to reveal additional details in place, or
• Click the crypt name to see the full page for that entry

Decoding While you Read

But there is another way to use the new upgraded Cryptonym Database. While reading a document, crypts which appear on a page, and are listed in the project, will be underlined in red. Just click on them to visit the page of information about the crypt. This feature is what unlocks the power of the cryptonym database to aid understanding of the documents.

If you don't see the underlines, look to the left of the page for the "LINK REFS" tool, and make sure it is turned on. Then click on any underlined link to find out what is known about that crypt. If you see a crypt which isn't underlined, consider doing some research, and let us know what you find!