---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 11:11:01 +0100 From: Jason <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Fw: [ISN] Aust Defence wont disclose stance on encryption ----- Original Message ----- From: "InfoSec News" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, September 21, 2001 8:38 AM Subject: [ISN] Aust Defence wont disclose stance on encryption > http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/security/story/0,2000024985,20260593,00.htm ?chkpt=zdnn_nbs_h > > By Rachel Lebihan, > ZDNet Australia > 20 September 2001 > > Australias Department of Defence wont disclose if it will answer the > US governments call to arms in restricting encryption technologies, > and despite widespread support in the States for a ban on > cryptography, experts say its unlikely to happen. > > ZDNet previously reported that the question of restricting the use of > encryption tools is a matter of serious debate in the US, where > officials have been quick to blame the use of cryptography for the > surveillance breakdown that failed to detect signs of the recent > US-focused terrorist attacks. > > The US has called for international support in its encryption > crackdown but Australian government departments have been quick to > pass the buck or keep their mouths shut as to whether or not the > country will rally to support its US counterpart. > > Minister for communications Senator Richard Alstons office didnt > return phone calls to ZDNet Australia and the Attorney Generals > department referred the matter to the Department of Defence, which > said: It goes into the realms of defence and we dont comment on that. > > According to reports from the US, there is widespread support for a > ban on "uncrackable" encryption products, with 72 percent of Americans > agreeing that anti-encryption laws would be "somewhat" or "very" > helpful in preventing a repeat of the September 11 terrorist attacks. > > However, according to Laura Chappell of US-based Protocol Analysis > Institute, a ban is unlikely to happen. Although over-the-counter > decryption tools are readily available over the Internet we use the > same tools for troubleshooting on our own networksto not allow vendors > to distribute them is impossible, she told ZDNet Australia. > > The encryption issue is a double-edged sword...in the US we want to > vote electronically so encryption must be tremendously advanced and > secure. Alternately, we don't want the terrorists to have encryption > better than our government, she said. > > Chappell believes that although a ban on cryptography wont happen, > those who write encryption technology will probably cooperate more > with the government to help them detect when terrorist communication > is going occurring. > > This is the first time ISPs have really cooperatedthe government > usually has to bend over backwards until its nose bleeds to get even a > little cooperation, Chappell said. > > According to Grant Bayley, founder of 2600 Australia ( > www.2600.org.au/), a hub of information on computer security, if there > are serious moves in the United States to crack down on encryption, > the Australian Government will surely following suit. > > However, such a privacy-restrictive move isn't likely to be a quick > one, given that additional laws would need to be created, debated, > presumably senate-examined and passed, according to Bayley. A sudden > backflip on privacy enhancements to a position of restricting > cryptography and allowing much greater government surveillance of > citizens isn't likely to go down well with an election looming, Bayley > added. > > Bayley said it wouldnt surprise him if developers were asked by the > government for decryption assistance, however, In my opinion, there's > more problems associated with putting the genie back in the bottle > than there have been with letting the genie out. > > I think the non-technical pollies in Washington are looking for every > reason to avoid pointing the finger at the reduced human capabilities > of their surveillance and intelligence organisations, he said. > > Alex Shiels, who runs a Web site relating to cryptography, censorship > and free speech, agrees that no Western government is likely to outlaw > cryptography because it's essential to the finance and e-commerce > industry. > > What we might see though is mandatory key escrow, where users are > required to lodge their decryption keys with a government agency, to > be made accessible to law enforcement when a warrant is granted, > Shiels said, bringing into the debate the fact that corrupt or > incompetent escrow agency officials could release keys to the wrong > person. > > US corporations are bracing themselves for cyberterrorism attacks. > Australia needs to do the same. Encryption forms a critical part of > online security and internet defences. Any government moves to limit > the use of encryption, including key escrow schemes, will weaken those > defences, Shiels said. > > At the end of the day, Chappell believes that corporate America will > win out. > > Corporate America is not going to break down the walls and allow a > government state. > > What happens in Australia remains to be seen. > > > > - > ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org > > To unsubscribe email [EMAIL PROTECTED] with 'unsubscribe isn' in the BODY > of the mail. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cryptography Mailing List Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
