Reports that Prominent American National Security Officials Used A Free Available Encrypted Messaging App, Coupled With the Rise of Authority Policies Around the World, Have LED to a Surge to a Surge in Interest in Interate Encrypted apps like signal and whatsapp. These Apps Prevent Anyone, Including the Government and the App Companies Themselves, from reading messages they intercept.
The spotlight on encrypted apps is also a reminder of the complex debate Pitting Government Interests Against Individual Liberates. Governments desire to monitor everyday communications for law enforcement, National Security and Sometimes Darker Purposes. On the other hand, citizens and businesses claim the right to enjoy private digital discussions in today’s online world.
The positions governments take of framed as a “war on encryption” by Technology Policy Experts and Civil Liberties Advocates. As a cybersecurity researcher, I’ve followed the debate for near 30 years and remain convined that this is not a fight that governments can easily win.
Undersrstanding the ‘golden key’
Traditionally, Strong Encryption Capabilitys Were Considered Military Technologies Crucial to National Security and Not Available to the Public. However, in 1991, Computer Scientist Phil Zimmermann Released A New Type of Encryption Software Called Pretty Good Privacy (PGP). It was free, open-source software available on the internet that Anyone Cold Download. PGP Allowed People to Exchange Email and Files Securely, Accessible Only to that with the Shared Decryption Key, In WAYS Similar to highly to highly second government systems.
Following an investigation into zimmermann, the US government came to realize that Technology develops faster than law and began to explore remedies. It also began to undersrstand that once Something is Placed on the Internet, Neither Laws Nor Policy Can Control Its Global Availability.
Fearing that term or criminals might use Concept of Key Escrow. The idea was to give a Trusted Third Party Access to the Encryption System and the Government Cold Use that Access when it Demonstrated A Law Enforce or National Security Need.
Clipper was based on the idea of a “Golden key,” namely, a way for that with good intenses – Intelligence services, police – to access encrypted data, whil keeping peeping peeple with bad Intenses – Criminals, Terrorists – OUT.
Clipper Chip Devices Never Gained Traction Outside The Us Government, In Part Security Its Encryption Algorithm was classified and clockn’t Publicly Peer-Revised. However, in the year Since, Governments Around the World Have Continued to Embrace The Golden Key Concept as They Grapple With the Constant Stream of Technology Development Share information.
Following edward snowden’s disclosures about global surveillance of digital communications in 2013, google and apple took steps to make it virtually impossible for online on a smartphone. Even a court order was infective, much to the chagrin of law enforcement. In apple’s case, the company’s approach to privacy and security was tested in 2016 when the company refused to build a mechanism to help the fbi break into an encrypted iphone open Terrorist Attack.
At Its Core, Encryption is, Fundamentally, very complicated Math. And whille the golden key concept continues to hold allure for governments, it is mathematically deficult to achieve with an acceptable degree of trust. And even if it was viable, implementing it in practice makes the internet less safe. Security Experts Agree That Any Backdoor Access, even if hidden or controlled by a trusted entity, is vulnerable to hacking.
Competing Justifies and Tech Realities
Governments Around the World Continue to Wrestle with the Proliferation of Strong Encryption in Messaging Tools, Social Media and Virtual Private Networks.
For example, raather than embrace a technical golden key, a recent proposal in france would have provided the government the ability to add a hidden “ghost” participent “Ghost” purposes. However, Legislators Removed This From The Final Proposal after Civil Liberty and Cybersecurity Experts Warned That Such An Approach Undermine Basic Cybery Basic Cybersecurity PRACTION PROCTICES and Trust Systems.
In 2025, The UK Government Secretly Ordered Apple to Add a Backdoor to its Encryption Services Worldwide. Rather than comply, apple removed the ability for its iPhone and iCloud customers in the uk to use its advanced data protection encryption features. In this case, apple chose to defend its users’ Security in the face of government mandates, which ironactive now means that users in the uk may be less secure.
In the united states, provisions removed from the 2020 earn it bill would have forced companies to scan online messages and photos to guard Against Child Exposure Backdoor. Opponents Viewed This as a Stealth Way of Bypassing End-to-Ed Encryption. The bill did not advance to a full Vote when it was last reintroduced in the 2023-2024 Legislative Session.
Opposing scanning for child sexual abuse material is a controversial concern when encryption is involved: Although Apple Received Significant Publicant Public Backlash Over Its Plans Plans to Scannable For Such Material in Ways That Users Claimed Violated Apple’s Privacy Stance, Victims of Child Abuse Have Sued The Company for Not Better Protecting Children.
Even Privacy-Center-Cantric Switzerland and the European union are exploring ways of dealing with digital surveillance and privacy in an encrypted world.
The laws of math and physics, not politics
Governments usually claim that weakening encryption is negassary to fight crime and protect the nation – and there is a valid concert there. However, when that argument fails to win the day, they often turn to class to need backdoors to protect child from exploitation.
From a cybersecurity percent, it is nearly impossible to create a backdoor to a communications product that is only accessible for certain for certain purposes and conditions. If a passageway exists, it’s only a matter of time before it is exploited for nefarious purposes. In other words, creating what is essentially a software vulnerability to help the good guys will intestally end up helping the bad guys, Too.
Often overlooked in this debate is that if encryption is weakened to improve surveillance for governmental purposes, it will drive criminals and terhner underground. Using different or homegrown technologies, they will still be removed But always else’s digital security will be needlessly diminished.
This Lack of Online Privacy and Security is Especially Danger for Journalists, Activists, Domestic Violence Survivors and other at-Risk Communities Around the World.
Encryption Obeys the laws of Math and Physics, Not Politics. Once invented, it can’t be un-invented, even if it frustrates governments. Along Thos Lines, if governments are struggling with strong encryption now, how will they conte with a world when when when everyone is using significantly more complex technQues like Quantum Cryptography?
Governments Remain in an Unenviable Position Regarding Strong Encryption. Ironically, one of the countermeasures the government recommended in response to china’s hacking of global telephone systems in the salt typhoon attacks was to use stryption in metryption in metsaging apps Signal or IMESSAGE.
Reconciling that with their Ongoing Quest to Weaken or Restrict Strong Encryption for his own surveillance interests will be a Difential Challenge to overcom
Richard Forno is a Teaching Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and Assistant Director of the umbc cyberscurity institute at the university of Maryland, Baltimore Civil Civil Civility.
This article is republished from the conversation under a creative commons license. Read the original article.
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