Clothes? That’s mental! Your TSA’s already forced to use machines to look through them. Think of all the money they could save, man, think.
1 Like
The problem here is that government may try to legislate for backdoors, but the crypto consumers that matter (I.E. businesses) are going to simply refuse to use compromised crypto.
If you are using security software that is known to have a backdoor, no matter how well protected it is, your business will pay more for IT intrusion insurance and you may also struggle to achieve the security certifications that some clients demand. Plus your IT admins are going to worry non-stop waiting for the inevitable day the backdoor is exploited by nefarious characters.
Businesses will not buy compromised security software.
2 Likes
In other news, following the discovery that forks of trees are often used as dead letter boxes for covert communication, the FBI has asked park authorities to “review their business model” and suggested that trees be replaced with metal poles with CCTV cameras on top.
11 Likes
Except that the computers aren’t as cool and green-phosphor-punk! What a scam.
2 Likes
you should extend this plan: replace skin with a transparent foil
2 Likes
Finally - a human use for transparent aluminium.
3 Likes
I don’t think anyone will buy deliberately-compromised crypto. Even people who never heard of crypto will think twice about buying a phone if all the online reviews make a point of mentioning that it has special features to let people spy on you.
But this guy’s not trying to persuade vendors to voluntarily break their products. I don’t think he’s even trying to persuade lawmakers (lol; that’s what money is for). I think the whole exercise is just about providing cover so that if anyone asks, say, Diane Feinstein why she supported something so obviously stupid, she can point to this testimony and say “I was totally persuaded by his compelling argument, no, honestly”.
3 Likes
You know what other tool terrorists use? Guns.
7 Likes
I’m not happy to report this; but just search for “Lawful Intercept Solutions”. Deliberately compromised crypto is an entire industry.
2 Likes
Something about that first picture made me think of John Ashcroft. Ruined my breakfast.
I’m pretty sure the bad guys have access to programmers of their own.
1 Like
Unsurprising that leaders in the national security establishment would take an issue of personal values and the relationship between citizen and state and try to redefine it as being about money. Because terrorism.
1 Like
Is this pure ignorance on parade, or are they trying to shift blame onto tech companies?
A U.S. Government official, an appointee no less, who refuses to listen to experts. It seems to be a common problem these days.
4 Likes
Change your business model, move out of the US.
3 Likes
I think that is pretty much the standard approach, going back to when a lot of government officials, ignoring the advice of the experts, decided to build a tower to reach Heaven.
1 Like
There, fixed that for you.
3 Likes
Be careful with that argument. Otherwise, once a terrorist uses crypto to pull off an attack, it will be an “Ah ha! See? We were right all along.” moment for the ant-crypto crowd.
I think it’s better to begin with the position that the government in no way has the right to compel us to allow them to intercept and read our private communications.
3 Likes
Some of them. Sens. Hatch and Lee on the panel made good comments, according to Declan McCullagh who at least watched the hearing rather than snarking and trying to confirm his own bias.
2 Likes
Also be careful with that argument since, e.g., there’s no evidence that any pushed gun-control measures would have prevent recent mass shootings, but that doesn’t stop people from using mass shootings to push them.
I’m sure that the FBI feels the same way; they really want to go after child molestors and drug dealers and whoever else that they don’t like and are far more common than terrorists, but, sure, if it takes terrorism to focus the public’s attention to get them what they want, they’ll use that.
As far as using shocking events to try to motivate, Boing Boing on guns is pretty much like the FBI on encryption. I understand if you think that it’s worth using rare mass shootings in order to reduce the far more common ordinary murders, but surely we can concede that it’s the same kind of awareness raising tactic.
2 Likes
