[1205] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: Freeh's Testimony (FBI Seeks Domestic GAK)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Nilsphone@aol.com)
Fri Jul 11 19:56:24 1997
From: Nilsphone@aol.com
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 1997 16:02:47 -0400 (EDT)
To: vin@shore.net, cryptography@c2.net, jya@pipeline.com
cc: bengt@skansberget.com, edk@std.teradyne.com, sg@acm.org
In a message dated 97-07-11 05:55:11 EDT, you write:
>
> The looming spectre of the widespread use of robust, virtually uncrackable
> encryption is one of the most difficult problems
> confronting law enforcement as the next century approaches. At stake are
>
Mr Freeh obviously has it exacly backwards. Hard encryption will AT LEAST
a) Reduce fraud
b) Reduce larceny as assets move to cyberspace
c) Reduce illegal eavesdropping
Of course, this will reduce crime without any kudos to LEO, so in a sense he
is right, it is a problem for law enforcement, but NOT a problem in the sense
that it will increase crime. This is as if dentists came out and said that a
vaccine against caries is a difficult problem confronting dentistry, or a
syphilis specialist (they used to exist) saying that penicillin is a
difficult problem confronting them.
Regards
Nils
P.S. Nevertheless, thanks for emaling the quote, I am not trying to shoot the
messenger.
