Benjamin Scott wrote:
>
> I agree. I find the best analogy to cryptography is armored cars -- the
> trucks banks use to transport money between branches and/or customers.
>
[...long, but good, analogy...]
>
> Of course, this is a ridiculous idea. While the Government is generally
> good at what they do, mistakes do happen. Once the secret of which panel is
> made of cardboard gets out, the cars are useless.
I have to disagree with this. I seem to remember not too long ago, the
federal government received failing marks from independent security
auditors. The head of the NSA even came out and admitted that their
security was weak, and that their equipment was outdated. And these
are the peope that are going to hold my key? I don't think so.
>This means people will
> stop buying armored cars from US companies, and instead import them from
> overseas. Meanwhile, there is nothing to stop the Bad Guys from welding
> their own steel plate into place over the cardboard. The reason they are
> Bad Guys, after all, is they do not follow the rules.
Ah, but will there be import restrictions on armored cars, or in this
case, encryption? Also, what is to stop people from just putting their
precious cargo into UGO? Who's going to steal a UGO? And really, who's
going to notice it in the first place? Forget e-mail and encryption.
How about a piece of paper, a pen, a lock-box and FedEx overnight? How
do you prevent the low-tech means?
> Forcing encryption software from US companies to feature back doors will
> accomplish precisely one thing: Encryption research and industry will move
> outside the USA, causing us to lose a technological edge, and harming the
> already failing economy.
I think that it will also insure that the "Bad Guys" will have an
upper hand. Where are the crypto experts going to come from? What is
the point of studying if there is no hope of a career? Where will the
NSA, FBI, CIA, TLA, etc. get new recruits?
> US law already requires people to handle over decrypt keys upon court
> order, just like any other kind of evidence. Refusing to do so, or
> destroying the keys, is already punishable under law, as with any other kind
> of evidence. We do not need special laws just because computer data can
> serve as evidence as well as physical items can.
Yes, but under the new laws, they won't need a warrant, and the person
may not even know that the fed is using their key to decrypt their
information.
> Not true. See above about damage to the US economy and companies. I am
> sure the German and Japanese software industries would love us for it.
It will damage our economy. It will damage our privacy. It will damage
our freedom. Passing these laws is nothing more than letting the
terrorists claim victory.
Kenny
--
---------------------------------------------------
Kenneth E. Lussier
Geek by nature, Linux by choice
PGP KeyID C0D2BA57
Public key
http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xC0D2BA57
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