Typewriters, Spies, and Secrets: How Intelligence Agencies Used Typewriters for Security—and How the Russians Hacked the Selectric
\In an age dominated by digital surveillance, there’s something both nostalgic and quietly profound about the rhythmic clack of a typewriter. But beyond the charm, typewriters once served a very serious role: national security.
Before encryption software, VPNs, and secure cloud storage, intelligence agencies like the CIA, FBI, and NSA relied on manual and electric typewriters to compose some of the most classified documents in history. Why? Because typewriters can't be hacked—or so they thought.
This post explores the deep relationship between typewriters and state secrecy, and tells the jaw-dropping true story of how Soviet spies once hacked an IBM Selectric typewriter in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
Why Intelligence Agencies Used Typewriters
In the mid-20th century, intelligence agencies around the world embraced typewriters as their primary tool for sensitive communications. Manual typewriters, and later electric ones, became the default instrument for:
Field reports
Classified memos
Inter-agency communications
Psychological operations documents
Counterintelligence files
Typewriters Were Considered Secure
Unlike telephones or early computers, typewriters produced no network signals and had no memory. Once a document was typed and the ribbon removed, there was no digital trace.
Security-minded agencies used techniques like:
Carbon paper copying, with strict controls on the number of copies produced.
Burn bags to destroy typed drafts and ribbons.
Font analysis to trace leaks (each typewriter's imprint is unique, like a fingerprint).
Even today, in a post-digital world, some intelligence agencies—including Russia’s FSB and Germany’s BND—have reportedly returned to typewriters to avoid cyber-espionage.
The IBM Selectric Enters the Intelligence World
In 1961, IBM released the Selectric typewriter, and it quickly became the dominant electric typewriter in both corporate and government settings.
What Made the Selectric Revolutionary?
The “golf ball” typing element allowed for smoother and faster operation.
The element could be swapped to change fonts, ideal for multilingual agencies.
Its mechanical precision was superior to traditional typebars, making documents cleaner and easier to read.
Agencies loved the Selectric for its professional output and operational speed—but the very features that made it beloved would soon become a liability.
The Soviet Hack: Bugging the Selectric
A Cold War Spy Thriller—That Actually Happened
During the Cold War, U.S. embassies overseas were hotbeds of espionage. And in one of the most audacious intelligence operations in history, Soviet spies managed to bug IBM Selectric typewriters used by the American diplomatic mission in Moscow.
This operation is now declassified and was code-named “Operation Gunman.”
Operation Gunman: What Happened?
Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, U.S. intelligence agencies discovered that Russian agents had intercepted and modified Selectric typewriters being delivered to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
The Hack Involved:
Installing a tiny inductive sensor inside the typewriter to detect movements of the typing mechanism.
Transmitting these keystrokes wirelessly via a hidden radio transmitter.
Using custom-built electronics, likely created by the KGB’s scientific division, to decipher the signals and reconstruct the typed documents.
For years, top-secret American cables, memos, and reports were quietly being intercepted by Soviet intelligence.
Here’s a great article on the on the mechanisms.
Discovery and Aftermath
The breach wasn’t discovered until 1984, when the NSA launched an exhaustive technical sweep of embassy equipment after suspicions of security leaks.
Engineers disassembled typewriters down to their last screw.
Hidden components were finally uncovered—some embedded in such a stealthy manner that only X-ray machines and forensic electronics analysis could detect them.
The U.S. responded by destroying all suspect equipment and replacing embassy devices with manually verified machines.
Fallout: Trust in Technology Shattered
After Operation Gunman, a wave of paranoia swept through Western intelligence agencies. The event highlighted a chilling truth: even analog equipment can be compromised.
As a result:
Embassies and intelligence posts adopted stricter protocols for importing technology.
Selectrics were eventually phased out of high-security areas.
The idea of air-gapped systems (computers not connected to any network) gained new popularity.
A quiet but real return to manual typewriters began for ultra-sensitive environments.
Why Typewriters Still Matter in Intelligence
Even in the 21st century, some nations have gone backwards in tech to move forwards in security.
Modern Examples:
Germany’s BND and Russia’s FSB reportedly use manual typewriters for certain documents.
North Korea continues to rely heavily on typewriters due to minimal internet exposure.
Corporate espionage countermeasures sometimes recommend using typewriters to draft highly sensitive material.
Why?
No software vulnerabilities
No electromagnetic signals
No cloud storage to breach
In an ironic twist, the once-obsolete typewriter has become a symbol of ultimate cybersecurity in an era of AI and cyberwarfare.
Final Thoughts: Typewriters, Secrecy, and the Myth of Analog Safety
The story of typewriters and secrecy is a rich and surprising one. From manual Underwoods in WWII to IBM Selectrics bugged by the KGB, typewriters have played a key role in the clandestine world of spies, diplomats, and deep state operators.
And while digital encryption may be king today, there’s still a strange comfort in the idea that sometimes, the safest machine is the one with no software at all.