The Venona Project

The Venona Project was a secret U.S. government initiative during and after World War II aimed at decoding Soviet intelligence communications. Established in the late 1940s, it involved intercepting and analyzing encrypted messages sent by Soviet spies and officials. The project revealed valuable insights into Soviet espionage activities, including the identities of American informants in the U.S. government. Although the existence of Venona was not made public until the 1990s, its findings helped shape American perceptions of the Cold War, highlighting the extent of Soviet infiltration in the West and influencing counterintelligence strategies.