Homepage Cyberwar Cybersecurity Cyberspace C-Spionage C-Sabotage Gefährdung Kriminalität Computer Kommunikation mod. Systeme Der Mensch Beratung Bildung Fachberichte Information Kryptologie Emission Verschlüsselung Forschung Begriffe Recht Technik Verschiedenes
.R F I D  - Systeme   Verschlüsselungs- und Chiffriertechnik   Rotorsysteme   Computerkryptologie
KL - 7
Ausführungen Niederlande Cryptomuseum
Ausführungen Crypto Machines Canada
Information
aus Crypto Museum
more information
Verlust/
Kompromittierung
1967 (Verrat )

KL -7 Adonis / Pollux
Entwicklungsbeginn : Mitte 1952  NSA / USA
Schlüsselsystem : Rotor - System
Arten der Chiffrierverkehre : keine Angaben
kryptologische Festigkeit : Adonis  high level;  Pollux low level
Betriebsart : keine Angaben mechanische - elektrische Konstruktion
Übertragungsart der Information : keine Angaben
Information :
KL-7 (ADONIS, POLLUX)
US rotor-based cipher machine

KL-7 was an electro-mechanical rotor-based off-line cipher machine, developed by the National Security Agency (NSA) in the US. It was introduced in 1952 and served for many years as the main cipher machine of the US and NATO. It is relatively light-weight (9.3 kg) and is basically a more advanced version of the German Enigma machine. It was a replacement for the SIGABA.

The initial name for the machine was AFSAM-7, but changed to TSEC/KL-7 in the early 1960s. It is also known by key-procedure codenames ADONIS (high-level) and POLLUX (low-level). KL-7 was withdrawn from service in 1983.

Unlike Enigma, the KL-7 has eight rotors, seven of which are moved in a complex irregular stepping pattern. The machines came in several variations and were used by the US Army, Navy and NATO for many years. They were also used for communication by Foreign Affairs.

Unfortunately, KL-7 still is a classified item and only few of them have survived. Most machines that are on public display, have been 'sanitized', and all wiring has been removed.
KL-7 removed from the transit case

Despite the secrecy surrounding the KL-7 and its history, the mystery is gradually being unravelled as the NSA releases more and more historical documents and researchers manage to uncover more and more technical details of the machine. As a result, a reaslistic computer simulation of the KL-7 is now available from crypto-historian Dirk Rijmenants in Belgium.