Cryptologic Conferences & Programs

In a fascinating presentation to the NCMF audience in February 2020, Retired CIA "Chief of Disguise" Jonna Mendez shared stories on the secret tactics employed against the KGB during the Cold War when she and her husband Tony Mendez created James Bond-style gadgets and ingenious disguises that enabled CIA agents to outmaneuver the KGB. Ms. Mendez was a 27-year CIA Intelligence Officer including time as a Technical Operations Officer with a specialty in clandestine photography. Her duties included training the CIA's most highly placed foreign assets in the use of spy cameras and processing the intelligence they gathered. Since retiring, she has continued her career as a fine art photographer, a consultant/lecturer, and an author. Ms. Mendez coauthored, with her husband, the acclaimed books Spy Dust and The Moscow Rules. Click on the title or photo to learn more about the program and to see photos.

The 2019 Summer Program took place on 5 June and featured historians and experts on Chinese society, Mr. Greg Nedved and Dr. Laura Kaplan Murray. The theme of the program was "THE TIAN’ANMEN SQUARE MASSACRE OF 4 JUNE 1989 - A DAY THAT MARKED A TURNING POINT IN CHINESE HISTORY." Click on the title or image to learn more.

The 2019 Spring Cryptologic Program featured guest speaker Mr. Rick Estberg whose presentation was based upon his recently published book, Berlin Daze. Estberg's book recounts dozens of his adventures and unique experiences over a seven-year period in walled West Berlin, both as an Army NCO, as well as an NSA civilian. We had a full house for the program, which was followed by a book-signing and lunch. Click to read more about the presentation, Mr. Estberg, and his book, as well as to see a gallery of event photos.

Our 2018 Summer Program featured special guest speaker Dr. Janet Breslin-Smith with an enlightening presentation on American diplomatic and military strategy, and its clash with Saudi culture. The presentation was titled "Sex and Strategy: Why We are Adrift in the Middle East" and it prompted our longest Q&A Session on record! Learn more about her and the program by clicking on the title or image.

The NCMF's 2018 Spring Cryptologic Program featured special guest speaker Ms. Liza Mundy, best-selling author of "Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II." "Code Girls" brings to light key roles played by thousands of female codebreakers during WWII. Click on the image or title to watch a replay of the presentation, see photos from the event, and get more details.

Our 2017 Pearl Harbor Program featured guest speaker Dr. Robert W. Love, Jr. This year's focus was on the rationale for the attack, which even its architect, Admiral Yamamoto, characterized in so many words as a “death warrant.” Dr. Robert Love, a professor and historian at the U.S. Naval Academy, helped us to understand the motives and goals of the planners and whether it was “a bold stroke or senseless strategy.” Click on the title or image to learn more.

The NCMF 2017 Summer Cryptologic Program featured guest speaker Dr. David Priess, former CIA intelligence officer and author of "The President's Book of Secrets." For this breakout book, he became the first author to interview every living former President and Vice President, as well as dozens of other leading national security and intelligence leaders of the past 50 years—CIA Directors, National Security Advisors, White House Chiefs of Staff, Secretaries of State, Secretaries of Defense, and Intelligence Community executives. to learn more, please click on the photo or title for the event page with summary info and photos.

The NCMF's 2017 Spring program, "A New Perspective on NSA's Covert Activities," took place on 29 March in Annapolis Junction, MD. The program featured a presentation by author Mr. Stephen Budiansky from 1000-1130, followed by book-signing of Mr. Budiansky's recent history thriller entitled "Code Warriors: NSA's Code Breakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union."

During this timely program, Mr. Budiansky spoke about his latest book (noted above) that draws on an array of recently declassified documents to explore the NSA’s long SIGINT struggle against the Soviets, and traces the historical forces behind the intelligence controversies making headlines today.

Click the image or title to learn more and please stay tuned for event photos.

On 5 December 2016, the NCMF hosted the 2016 Pearl Harbor Program in Annapolis Junction, MD with special guest speaker Dr. Linton Wells, II. Dr. Wells is former Director of the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) at National Defense University (NDU), and the founder of the TIDES Project. During his presentation, he spoke about how the Imperial Japanese Navy was prepared for battle, but not for war. Click on the program title or Dr. Wells' photo to learn more.

The NCMF's 2016 Summer Cryptologic Program, featuring a presentation by former DIRNSA and Director, CIA, General Michael Hayden, took place on 25 July in Annapolis Junction, MD. During the presentation, General Hayden discussed the reasoning behind his responses to terrorism and other challenges the United States faced as the technological revolution proceeded. He defended these decisions strongly and provided counter arguments to accusations of wrongdoing which regularly appeared in the media in the wake of the Snowden revelations. One of the key players in the modern world of intelligence, he provided an unvarnished view of what is required to defend the US from the many threats it faces and why is is necessary to take unpopular measures to protect this nation and its allies. Gen Hayden's book, "Playing the to Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror," was published in early 2016. PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE OR TITLE TO VIEW RECAP AND PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT.

The NCMF's 2016 Spring Cryptologic Program, featuring a presentation by Dr. David J. Sherman, NSA Associate Director for Policy and Records, was held on 9 March 2016. Dr. Sherman, who oversees the agency’s information security policy and its responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act, discussed the NSA redaction program and the challenges faced in declassifying and protecting sensitive information in the volumes of documents to be released to the general public. Click on the Event Name or Speaker Photo to learn more.

Our (early) Summer Cryptologic Program on 20 May 2015 featured special guest speaker Dr. Andrew Hodges, author of Alan Turing: The Enigma. Dr. Hodges' book inspired the highly-acclaimed film, The Imitation Game and we were thrilled to have him with us for the program and to visit the National Cryptologic Museum. Click to learn more and see photos from the event.

On Wednesday, 4 March 2015, Col. Philip Thompson USAF (Ret) spoke at the NCMF Spring Cryptologic Program about his experiences as the defense and air attaché in Warsaw during the early 1980s. It was an excellent presentation of the duties of an attaché and the dangers of roaming the countryside filming hidden installations and equipment. He observed that concentrating on items to be photographed diverts attention from surrounding sites, objects and people, which may be of equal or greater interest. He also spoke about the grinding poverty of a once prosperous country and the fear of strangers and friends that all Poles exhibited. He discussed the role of the Catholic Church and the bravery of priests, some of whom were murdered by the regime. Despite such dire conditions, Poles, while trying to avoid detection, expressed gratitude to foreigners who they believed were working to relieve their suffering. The uprisings at the Gdansk Shipyard and the rise of Lech Walesa were only the beginning. The prosperity they now enjoy is a direct result of these events.

2014 Pearl Harbor Lecture Series (14th Annual)
Scholar Dr. John Gordon IV, author of Fighting for MacArthur: The Navy and Marfine Corps' Desperate Defense of the Philippines, senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, and professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School was our featured speaker. His presentation included first-hand information gleaned from Japanese sources. He also highlighted the SIGINT contributions provided by collection from Station C, our intercept site on Corregidor, as well as MacArthur's failure to use intelligence available to him. Click above to visit the Event Page.

2014 Summer Cryptologic Program
Dr. Michael Warner, U.S. Cybercom Historian, joined us for "The History of International Intelligence" and spoke about his experiences, as well as his book, "The Rise and Fall of Intelligence: An International Security History." See the Program HERE.

2014 Spring Program
Mr. Jim Ohlson, former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, gave an exciting presentation regarding the Bob Hanssen spy case.

2013 December Program
Dr. Donald Goldstein, co-author of "At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor" gave a presentation highlighting insights into the Japanese outlook on the Pearl Harbor attack and the subsequent disastrous aftermath.

2013 Summer Program
Mr. Melvin Goodman, former senior CIA analyst, author and senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, discussed his latest book, “National Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism.” Mr. Goodman gained an exceptional knowledge of national security while serving under every Administration from Johnson to Bush, Sr. Mr. Goodman decries that the Government’s persistent misdirection of power stems from its dependency on the military-industrial complex.

2013 Spring Program
Ms. Sandra Grimes, long-time CIA insider, spoke about the decade-long investigation that led to the exposure of her co-worker, Aldrich Ames, as a Soviet mole who was responsible for the torture and execution of at least ten Soviet undercover agents. Ms. Grimes and Ms. Jeanne Vertefeuille co-authored the book, "Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed."

2012 Spring Program
Author Douglas Waller spoke about his book, "Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster who created the OSS and Modern American Espionage." Mr. Waller’s fascinating presentation focused on Donovan, the man who became the nation's top spy under the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt during World War II. Waller is a veteran correspondent, author, and lecturer. As a journalist he has covered the Pentagon, Congress, the State Department, the White House, and the CIA.

2012 Summer Program
The NCMF welcomed the Ohio State University Drama Department's Theatrical Exhibition Team which performed "The Camouflage Project," a performance based on the mission of four female British agents who operated behind German lines in France during World War II. Through exhibition stations and a performance of mime and dance the audience learned how the agents used camouflage and code systems training to conceal themselves and communicate with allied forces. Photo here is from The Camouflage Project.