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posted by Fnord666 on Friday September 22 2017, @02:09PM   Printer-friendly
from the damaged-reputations dept.

An international group of cryptography experts has forced the U.S. National Security Agency to back down over two data encryption techniques it wanted set as global industry standards, reflecting deep mistrust among close U.S. allies.

In interviews and emails seen by Reuters, academic and industry experts from countries including Germany, Japan and Israel worried that the U.S. electronic spy agency was pushing the new techniques not because they were good encryption tools, but because it knew how to break them.

The NSA has now agreed to drop all but the most powerful versions of the techniques - those least likely to be vulnerable to hacks - to address the concerns.

Have the chickens come home to roost for the NSA, or should we distrust the report that they backed down?


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Friday September 22 2017, @03:59PM (2 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday September 22 2017, @03:59PM (#571683) Journal

    That age old phrase fits here, perfectly.

    I can't understand how and why "allies" would bow to the wishes of the US and/or the "Five Eyes". I most certainly can't understand those who are not close allies doing so.

    And, why can't our "intelligence" communities understand that they are cutting their own throats by pushing these stupid ideas? If they get their way, they quash innovation in the "free" world, but the REST of the world is going full-steam ahead, trying to defeat our best. As time passes, our high school / college grads and job applicants are severely handicapped in comparison to hackers from the "non-free" world.

    The world at large really needs to tell Uncle Sam to fuck off.

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  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday September 22 2017, @06:51PM (1 child)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday September 22 2017, @06:51PM (#571742) Journal

    I can't understand how and why "allies" would bow to the wishes of the US . . .

    Money. Bribes. Blackmail. Pee pee tapes. Threats of violence. Ransom of someone or something. Threats the US president might visit your country. Etc.

    I most certainly can't understand those who are not close allies doing so.

    See above list.

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday September 22 2017, @11:22PM

      by bob_super (1357) on Friday September 22 2017, @11:22PM (#571893)

      > Threats the US president might visit your country

      Have they no shame, ethics, or professional conscience? The Monsters!