Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by chromas on Thursday July 25 2019, @01:01PM   Printer-friendly
from the dipshit dept.

Low Barr: Don't give me that crap about security, just put the backdoors in the encryption, roars US Attorney General

If the cops and Feds can't read people's encrypted messages, you will install backdoors for us, regardless of the security hit, US Attorney General William Barr has told the technology world.

While speaking today in New York, Barr demanded eavesdropping mechanisms be added to consumer-level software and devices, mechanisms that can be used by investigators to forcibly decrypt and pry into strongly end-to-end encrypted chats, emails, files, and calls. No ifs, no buts.

And while this will likely weaken secure data storage and communications – by introducing backdoors that hackers and spies, as well as the cops and FBI, can potentially leverage to snoop on folks – it will be a price worth paying. And, after all, what do you really need that encryption for? Your email and selfies?

"We are not talking about protecting the nation's nuclear launch codes," Barr told the International Conference on Cyber Security at Fordham University. "Nor are we necessarily talking about the customized encryption used by large business enterprises to protect their operations. We are talking about consumer products and services such as messaging, smart phones, email, and voice and data applications. There have been enough dogmatic pronouncements that lawful access simply cannot be done. It can be, and it must be."

Related: DOJ: Strong Encryption That We Don't Have Access to is "Unreasonable"
FBI Director Calls Encryption a "Major Public Safety Issue"
FBI Director: Without Compromise on Encryption, Legislation May be the 'Remedy'
Five Eyes Governments Get Even Tougher on Encryption
Australia Set to Pass Controversial Encryption Law
FBI: End-to-End Encryption Problem "Infects" Law Enforcement and Intelligence Community


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by stormwyrm on Thursday July 25 2019, @04:36PM

    by stormwyrm (717) on Thursday July 25 2019, @04:36PM (#871122) Journal
    Maybe not nuclear launch codes. But if I get my credit cards and bank accounts compromised because the encryption backdoor they want is abused (and make no mistake: it will be abused sooner rather than later), that will be almost as bad. The potential for fraud and abuse is NOT a price we want to pay I think. There is no difference in the encryption that protects my connection to my bank and online use of my credit cards, and the encryption that's keeping the Feds from reading messages sent by a suspected terrorist. Can't have one without the other. The choice he's giving us is not between privacy and safety, but between strong security and weak. Maybe Mr. Barr can try his system, and see how quickly his bank account is drained and his credit cards are filled with fraudulent transactions when the back door he wants is inevitably abused.
    --
    Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Insightful=1, Interesting=1, Total=2
    Extra 'Interesting' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4