Paris Terror Attacks Stoke Encryption Debate
Summary: After the Paris attacks that killed at least 128 people, U.S. law enforcement officials moved to cite public concern in support of proposals to weaken encryption, though early media reports that the attackers used strong encryption failed to produce evidence. A Forbes report on PlayStation 4 use was walked back, The New York Times removed a story claiming the attackers used encryption and later said European officials offered no evidence, and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. and the City of London were expected to release a white paper on smartphone encryption at a Federal Reserve Bank of New York symposium.
Why it matters: A memo obtained by The Washington Post from Robert Litt of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said public support for weakening encryption "could turn in the event of a terrorist attack or criminal event where strong encryption can be shown to have hindered law enforcement" - and the push arrived days after an attack whose encryption link was never substantiated.
Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗
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- Cybercrime & Law Enforcement
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