Criminals Exploiting FBI Emergency Data Requests

I've been writing about the problem with lawful-access backdoors in encryption for decades now: that as soon as you create a mechanism for law enforcement to bypass encryption, the bad guys will use it too. Turns out the same thing is true for non-technical backdoors: The advisory said that the...

China Possibly Hacking US “Lawful Access” Backdoor

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Chinese hackers Salt Typhoon penetrated the networks of US broadband providers, and might have accessed the backdoors that the federal government uses to execute court-authorized wiretap requests. Those backdoors have been mandated by law--CALEA--since...

Australia Threatens to Force Companies to Break Encryption

In 2018, Australia passed the Assistance and Access Act, which--among other things--gave the government the power to force companies to break their own encryption. The Assistance and Access Act includes key components that outline investigatory powers between government and industry. These...

Law Enforcement Access to Chat Data and Metadata

A January 2021 FBI document outlines what types of data and metadata can be lawfully obtained by the FBI from messaging apps. Rolling Stone broke the story and its been written about elsewhere. I dont see a lot of surprises in the document. Lots of apps leak all sorts of metadata: iMessage and...

New Bill Targeting ‘Warrant-Proof’ Encryption Draws Ire

Privacy advocates are decrying a new bill, which would force tech companies to unlock encrypted devices if ordered to do so by law enforcement with a court issued warrant. The Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act was introduced on Tuesday by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham R-SC,...

More on Law Enforcement Backdoor Demands

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy convened an Encryption Working Group to attempt progress on the "going dark" debate. They have released their report: "Moving the Encryption Policy Conversation Forward. The main...

Attorney General Barr and Encryption

Last month, Attorney General William Barr gave a major speech on encryption policy­what is commonly known as "going dark." Speaking at Fordham University in New York, he admitted that adding backdoors decreases security but that it is worth it. Some hold this view dogmatically, claiming that it i...

Attorney General William Barr on Encryption Policy

Yesterday, Attorney General William Barr gave a major speech on encryption policy -- what is commonly known as "going dark." Speaking at Fordham University in New York, he admitted that adding backdoors decreases security but that it is worth it. Some hold this view dogmatically, claiming that it...

The False Promise of “Lawful Access” to Private Data

Opinion: As online extremism migrates to real-world violence, some suggest letting law enforcement intercept encrypted messages. But that’s a dangerous proposition...

G7 Comes Out in Favor of Encryption Backdoors

From a G7 meeting of interior ministers in Paris this month, an "outcome document": Encourage Internet companies to establish lawful access solutions for their products and services, including data that is encrypted, for law enforcement and competent authorities to access digital evidence, when i...

BlackBerry CEO Defends Lawful Access Principles, Supports Phone Hack

BlackBerry’s CEO made the company’s stance on lawful access requests clear this week and is defending actions to provide Canadian law enforcement with what it needed to decrypt communications between devices. The company’s CEO John Chen penned a statement on Monday, reiterating that one of...

BlackBerry allows Indian government to Intercept emails and Chats

In 2010 the Indian authorities threatened to shut down BlackBerry's infrastructure unless it agreed to comply with lawful access requirements providing the government a way to intercept messages in order to prevent terrorist attacks. The long time dispute between the Indian government and...