Cryptography is the science of secret writing with the goal of hiding the meaning of a message. When a message is encrypted with a secure algorithm, i.e. an encryption cipher, no one should be able to read it without the decryption key. However, the promise of security falls apart if the encryption algorithm is weak, or if someone has created a backdoor. In this article we’ll examine the modern history of encryption. We’ll learn that while the mathematical underpinnings of modern encryption is stronger than ever, government agencies have a history of thwarting efforts to reach the goal of truly secure communication.