Crypto successor company CyOne Security AG

Just under a month after it became known that a US secret service camouflage company had been selling manipulated encryption devices from Switzerland for decades, the boss of one of its successor company speaks out in detail. The company is facing an uncertain future.

The so-called ‘Crypto Leaks’ that were revealed to the public on February 11 were "shocking news”, explained Andreas Linde, CEO of the successor company of Crypto International AG, in an interview with the NZZ on Wednesday. This investigation "created a stressful situation" for both customers and employees. After trying to provide accurate information to the media, customers and employees, he finally had to place his focus on his employees. "Many of them felt very bad. They felt cheated by her previous employer.” Psychological help was even offered. "It was traumatic."

The Zug company Crypto AG was split up in 2018. Since then, CyOne Security AG has been taking care of customers in Switzerland, while Crypto International AG has been responsible for the global business. In recent weeks, both companies have stressed that they have no contacts with the secret services. And they are distancing themselves from the business practices of their predecessor, which became known through the ‘Crypto Leaks’ in mid-February.

The Zug company Crypto became the focus of the world attention because of the Crypto Leaks.

Crypto AG is said to have manipulated encryption devices on behalf of the US secret service CIA and the German Federal Intelligence Service since the 1970s so that eavesdropping could take place. It is rumoured that this has been known since the 1990s, but has only now been confirmed by CIA documents. The investigation was a joint effort by German television ZDF, SRF's Rundschau and Washington Post.

They are a completely different company today, says Linde in an interview, and it’s now a matter of regaining customer trust. “You have to earn trust. And the prerequisite for this is that you are open to your customers,” says Linde. Surprisingly, the recent events have even allowed them to gain customers. Linde does not want to retain the name ‘Crypto’, and it had already been decided to rename the company last year, before the revelations. "In a year we will have overcome the storm, and we will be a fresh, new company," Linde says combatively.