Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever

by Joseph Cox

Joseph Cox's Dark Wire reveals the full story behind ANOM, the encrypted phone company secretly run by the FBI. After taking over the encrypted communications platform from a confidential informant, the FBI operated it for years, reading every message sent by criminal organizations worldwide in real time. The operation, known as Trojan Shield, resulted in hundreds of arrests across multiple countries and provided unprecedented insight into organized crime communications. Cox, a veteran cybersecurity journalist, details the technical implementation of the backdoor, the legal challenges of operating an international surveillance operation, the ethical dilemmas faced by law enforcement, and the cat-and-mouse dynamics between criminals seeking secure communications and agencies seeking to intercept them. The book raises fundamental questions about the limits of government surveillance and the future of encrypted communications.