This is a copy of The Numbers Racket CD-ROM, which I prepared back in 1998. I am presenting it here, unedited, for historical purposes. Obviously most if not all of the information is 'out of date' today, but think of it as a snapshot of what the Spy Numbers scene was like in the late 1990s.
Like what you see here? Help support my work by taking a look at my software , and buy something of interest :) It's all available for download before purchase, so you can try it out.
Enjoy!
One of the questions someone asks when they first hear about Numbers Stations is Why? Why do major intelligence organizations still use what at first seems like an out of date system to transmit supposedly crucial messages to their agents in the field?
At first glance, it would seem that there are many modern alternatives to shortwave radio. With the explosion in communications networks such as the Internet, why not use these new technologies to transmit messages? Or even other techniques such as microdots and other methods to hide secret messages in ordinary letters.
These other communications systems all suffer from one major problem - they create a physical link between the agent and the organization. There is now a way to connect the two. Should there be a breach of security, it would be possible to expose field agents to the risk of being identified. Accidents happen, and counter-intelligence agencies do occationally stumble on small leaks of information and other clues. It would be very incriminating for an agent to be caught receiving a letter containing a microdot, or receiving a piece of email containing an encrypted message.
With Spy Numbers Stations, there is no direct link between the agents and their agency. While the transmissions may be easily picked up by anyone, there is no way of finding out who else is listening, or who the intended recipient is. The use of one time pads guarantees that an encrypted message cannot be decoded by anyone other than the intended recipient. Spy Numbers Stations, as antiquated as they may seem, are a simple yet elegant solution to the problem of communicating with agents in the field.
Numbers Stations are most likely just one part of a series of steps in keeping in touch with an agent.
The messages sent by Numbers Stations are likely to take several forms. They may be instructions to meet a contact at a certain time and place. They could be specify where to pick up a package containing other instructions or materials, such as weapons, money, or a new set of one time pads. Several books written about captured spies indicate these types of messages. Communist agencies were also known for sending political messages on important Communist holidays, such as May Day.
For the return trip, there are several possibilities. The agent may be instructed to use a specific address to mail a letter. This is a location where the received letter is re-wrapped and sent on again to it's final destination, perhaps even through one or more intermediate steps. This provides a layer of isolation between the agent and his employers. The information can be encrypted, or placed in a microdot (the Soviets apparently used this technique quite a bit). It is likely that sensitive information is not trusted to the mail, but is directly handed to another operative, at a designated meeting place and time. Often a so called "dead letter box" is used to get a package to an agent. This is a special location where the package is left for the agent to pick it up.
Several books discussing captured spies have mentioned the agents using radio transmitters to send messages back to their headquarters. From what I have been able to gather, this was much more common several decades ago. I would think that this would be an extremely risky operation today, considering that modern radio direction-finding systems are capable of tracking a transmission to a location within several miles in seconds. I believe that it is safe to assume that the vast majority of espionage transmissions are one way - from the agency to the field agents. More conventional techniques are likely used for the return trip. One exception might be in the case when it is vital that urgent information be tranmitted back to headquarters as quickly as possible. This would of course be the exception rather than the rule.
Several accounts have been made of a technique where the agent puts his message in morse code on a tape. The tape is then played at a high speed when it is transmitted. As a result, the entire message may be transmitted in a burst that only lasts a few seconds, which reduces the chances that the broadcast will be detected.
This is a copy of The Numbers Racket CD-ROM, which I prepared back in 1998. I am presenting it here, unedited, for historical purposes. Obviously most if not all of the information is 'out of date' today, but think of it as a snapshot of what the Spy Numbers scene was like in the late 1990s.
Like what you see here? Help support my work by taking a look at my software , and buy something of interest :) It's all available for download before purchase, so you can try it out.