General / Off-Topic USA to try to control strong encryption

[deMangler]

Recently declassified Linkage.

http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/DOC_0006231614.pdf

Not much of this will be news to anyone involved in freedom of information, but of interest to me is the last paragraph, which considers the idea of an international agreement to have all legitimate encryption keys kept in escrow, to expose baddies (they obviously would not share their keys)
I wonder two things about this. The first is that is it seems to be a genuinely dangerous prospect that if successful would categorise any genuinely secret use of encryption as suspect. The second is that it does seem to indicate that strong open-source encryption works, and security by obscurity does not. (which we kind of know anyway)
It is worth bearing in mind that in the UK you can get jail for not revealing encryption keys to the law enforcement agencies so that kind of covers it anyway. Probably the actual way things will go is down this road.
Anyway, thought it might be of interest to some of the more freedom minded techies on this forum....

 

[Surfinjo]

The US has always managed to avoid many of these problems with its rights to free speech being jealously guarded.

As such it has always been the gold standard of freedom for the rest of the world.

This is an ominous sign. If it passes. I suspect the Supreme court will throw it out, but never know.

What is needed is a twin encryption. So, you have your file you want to encrypt, plus a second file, which has little value. Both encrypted together, with two keys. One to open the benign file, the other, the secret file.

 

[metatheurgist]

It's weird that they have such passion for controlling encryption but no desire to control guns. I guess they need a National Encryption Association.

 

[Tinman]

Good luck with that!

 

[Surfinjo]

It's weird that they have such passion for controlling encryption but no desire to control guns. I guess they need a National Encryption Association.

Guns are mainly a problem for the common people. It's very rare that anyone in the ruling classes gets shot. It happens of course, but as long as it remains rare, there is little incentive to do anything about it. In any case, the majority who hold the most guns are a bunch of delusional tough guys, ready to fight of aliens, pinkos, terrorists, and anyone else who wants to 'Take Away My Freedom' (or the TV), the effect is control of the masses.

In the corridors of power, the decision to allow free access to the internet is probably seen as being the biggest mistake since Churchill made a pact with Stalin. And they still chew their fists over that one.

If we look at the history of the net, especially over the last 15 years, finding ways to claw back control has been the obsession.

Open access to encryption is one of the last areas remaining uncontrolled. The key disclosure laws are an abomination of course, especially when you realise that you can get 2 years + for failure while child abuser, burglars, thieves can get a few months.

 

[Antmax]

I read the other day, that the were over 300,000,000 guns in public circulation here in North America while the combined military and security forces only have approx 5,000,000.

 

[Nuarda]

I read the other day, that the were over 300,000,000 guns in public circulation here in North America while the combined military and security forces only have approx 5,000,000.

That is scary! I for one am glad that I live in a society were the possession and ownership of guns is not a right!

 

[Surfinjo]

That is scary! I for one am glad that I live in a society were the possession and ownership of guns is not a right!

That's why I left the US 50 years ago and came to the UK.

The problem isn't the guns as such, its the type of people who own them.

Until the late 90s, many people owned guns here as well. But for the most part it was a minority sport. individually Licensed. Most owners were competitive sport types and only interested in the sporting value. Since the 90s, the general public can only obtain shot guns for hunting. We all know what happened.

In America, guns are seen as guarantees of freedom. Owning a gun means you are free. Because so many idiots own them, others get one for protection against the idiots. Then their kids get a hold of them and people die.