Privacy Defended: Protecting Yourself Online

The Dark Side of Encryption

The unspeakable events that occurred on September 11, 2001 in the U.S. led to a war on terrorism. In the back of the picture sits the war on encryption.

Many in the U.S. government and other organizations argue that all domestic encryption products should include backdoors that would give certain government agents the ability to decrypt. Indeed, the arguments continue. Encryption should not hinder law enforcement and military's ability to maintain good intelligence. On the other hand, clear reason tells us that this is in direct opposition to encryption's purpose of maintaining personal security and privacy. It also seems contradictory to the basic American values of freedom and privacy.

In a speech on the tragic events, ...