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The impact of terrorist attacks in America on free software.
This would not be very obvious the first sight but it could have =
far-reaching implications. One of the questions that have come to be =
debated in light of the terrorist attacks and America is the question of =
encryption and cryptographic software. Cryptography has always been the =
topic of much debating. The very fact that cryptography offers secure =
communications is the root of all problems. While it keeps sensitive =
data intact during transmission through public channels like the =
Internet it can also help terrorists and criminals transmit Data, which =
might be used for destructive ends. Here privacy clashes with law =
enforcement. In view of the recent events the American government has =
proposed that all encryption software should be built with back doors so =
that the information can be extracted if need be. While this holds good =
for proprietary software, the same cannot be said in the case of free =
software or open source software. The very fact that the source of the =
program is released along with the free software or open source software =
enables the trap doors or back doors to be removed from the software =
making the encryption as strong as before. It still has to be seen how =
the government reacts to this. It could result in banning of open =
source/free encryption software. Or in an even worse case scenario, =
limitations on free software on the whole. The free software community =
should wake up to this impending danger and should devise some means of =
averting this. The problem to the best of my knowledge has been =
overlooked till now. While hot debate is going on regarding whether to =
sacrifice privacy for law enforcement, open source software and free =
software should not be overlooked. The problem has to be handled in a =
much more efficient way than building in trap doors. Some other methods =
of tracking down encrypted Information has to be found out, which would =
satisfy the requirements of privacy, law enforcement, and freedom of =
software or Information.
Jeevan G Joseph << jeevs >>
++ Real men use real OSes.Discover GNU/{$kernel}++
Thought for the day :
Free Software: the Software by the People, of the People and for the =
People. Develop! Share! Enhance! and Enjoy! =20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D2>
<P>The impact of terrorist attacks in America on free software.</P>
<P>This would not be very obvious the first sight but it could have =
far-reaching=20
implications. One of the questions that have come to be debated in light =
of the=20
terrorist attacks and America is the question of encryption and =
cryptographic=20
software. Cryptography has always been the topic of much debating. The =
very fact=20
that cryptography offers secure communications is the root of all =
problems.=20
While it keeps sensitive data intact during transmission through public =
channels=20
like the Internet it can also help terrorists and criminals transmit =
Data, which=20
might be used for destructive ends. Here privacy clashes with law =
enforcement.=20
In view of the recent events the American government has proposed that =
all=20
encryption software should be built with back doors so that the =
information can=20
be extracted if need be. While this holds good for proprietary software, =
the=20
same cannot be said in the case of free software or open source =
software. The=20
very fact that the source of the program is released along with the free =
software or open source software enables the trap doors or back doors to =
be=20
removed from the software making the encryption as strong as before. It =
still=20
has to be seen how the government reacts to this. It could result in =
banning of=20
open source/free encryption software. Or in an even worse case scenario, =
limitations on free software on the whole. The free software community =
should=20
wake up to this impending danger and should devise some means of =
averting this.=20
The problem to the best of my knowledge has been overlooked till now. =
While hot=20
debate is going on regarding whether to sacrifice privacy for law =
enforcement,=20
open source software and free software should not be overlooked. The =
problem has=20
to be handled in a much more efficient way than building in trap doors. =
Some=20
other methods of tracking down encrypted Information has to be found =
out, which=20
would satisfy the requirements of privacy, law enforcement, and freedom =
of=20
software or Information.</P></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Jeevan G Joseph << jeevs =
>><BR>++ Real=20
men use real OSes.Discover GNU/{$kernel}++<BR>Thought for the day =
:<BR>Free=20
Software: the Software by the People, of the People and for the People. =
Develop!=20
Share! Enhance! and Enjoy! </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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