If they have then they are using it exceedingly sparingly.

I strongly suspect it would be impossible to use it to any moderate degree without being found out in one way or another.

I know this is a very very poorly worded question :) but I wonder what the most amazing secret was that was held for the longest time?

> but I wonder what the most amazing secret was that was held for the longest time?

Very relevant, probably the Allie's breaking the Axis enigma code in WWII.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra

If the NSA broke RSA, they'd have a similar program set up to ensure nobody notices.

Probably the most useful thing to do with this power if you had it would be and signing your exploits with all sorts of legit keys. Maximal effective exposed area on all parts of the hardware and software stack of multiple potential opponents. The real work would be using the information and trying to find other ways to discover the same thing. Classic intel problem.

>I wonder what the most amazing secret was that was held for the longest time?

I heard that the use of the golden ratio in projects such as the engineering of cathedrals, required that the first thing you do before you draw your plan is to draw a pentagram, in order to derive the ratio using simple drawing tools, and then carefully erase it, or in other words, make it occult. http://www.matematicasvisuales.com/english/html/geometry/gol...

Also, I'd really like to know who in the hell built the Ankythera device. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism

We know they had public key crypto a few years before RSA.

Unlikely, as they wouldn’t keep using methods that they’ve broken themselves

I doubt it, too; but using methods you've broken, but know others haven't, is a great way to convince people you haven't broken it either. And if you suspect they have, it's a great channel for misinformation.

You could also embed content with stronger security inside the wrapper you’ve broken, so even if someone else has figured it out, they can’t decrypt your real messages.

Hopefully.

Nice

That's not the case. With compartmentalization as a core organizational design, the people with the crack won't be saying anything to the operations and infrastructure folks.

A key portion of an advantage like this would be who to share 1) derived intel and 2) capability with.

They could switch algorithms and claim that they were just doing it to be resistant against quantum computers.