Approaching Kryptos and much of the ciphering, coding, cryptoanalysis available as a neophyte gives one a unique perception. My interest is twofold. First, I’ve had an abiding interest in puzzles and riddles. I began with cryptoquotes in the newspaper with my grandmother and my enjoyment has expanded quite a bit since then. Cryptoquotes being simple substitution ciphers unknowingly paved the way for me to realize that my interests were in fact kissing cousins. Most good riddles and puzzles incorporate some element of cryptology, steganography and related fields. My other interest is perhaps less noble but still undeniable: envy. I’ve always felt a tinge of envy for computer hackers, programmers, and the intelligence community at large. I would say without exaggeration that the Kryptos artwork has a constant and addictive pull to a wide variety of folks because it combines so many things that appeal to all of us.

I feel that the time is rapidly coming when those used to playing these games for fun will be of use to those whose business is the hiding and seeking of hidden messages. What we do is far more trivial, at least relative to the consequences and therefore our focus and volunteerism will potentially help when the last cipher has been deciphered. At that point, Kryptos will have several layers removed but the riddle will remain.

–Kryptos Fan