FBI against encryption on smartphones
As you know, the latest versions of Android 5.0 and iOS 8 mobile operating systems have data encryption implemented by default. To remove information, you now need physical access to the phone and knowledge of the password.
The FBI is extremely dissatisfied with how the developers from Apple and Google acted. Moreover, the Bureau considers such a position of these companies antisocial. FBI Director James B Komey (James B Comey) is trying to win public opinion to his side. Koumi's enchanting speech took place on October 16 at the Brookings Institution (Washington), one of the leading expert-analytical centers in the United States, which specializes in social studies, municipal government, foreign policy and the global economy ( transcript ).
The introduction of cryptography in iOS and Android has become the main theme of the FBI Director’s speech. He again repeated the main points of his position.
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Technology has become a tool in the hands of very dangerous people, says Koumi. Unfortunately, laws are lagging behind technological progress, therefore, law enforcement agencies are not always able to obtain the necessary evidence to prosecute criminals and prevent terrorism. "We have the legal right to intercept and listen to communications and receive information on a court order, but often there is no technical ability to do this."
The main obstacle in the fight against crime, lately, is the increasingly frequent encryption of data, both in real-time communications and information stored on devices.
The director of the FBI says that for the past 20 years, everything has been much simpler, and the intelligence services were able to easily access any necessary information and listened to the phones of the suspects. Now, the objects of surveillance "jump" between different cellular networks and WiFi, use a variety of applications, including VoIP, devices on different platforms.
But worst of all, when using cryptographic data protection. This completely undermines the work of the FBI. The situation is not saved by the fact that the data can be obtained from the cloud backup, says Koumi, because this backup does not contain all the information of the user, and the criminals do not make backups at all.
Koumi believes that encryption is a “marketing tool” for Apple and Google, but it has very serious consequences in real life, because it allows you to hide important information from the law and avoid punishing criminals. “We need our private sector partners [Apple and Google] to step back, take a break and consider changing course.”
The director of the FBI recognizes that encryption is necessary: ​​“The country needs it, the business needs it.” You just have to make sure that you can get any key with the help of a legal procedure. Koumi speaks out against backdoors, proposing instead to introduce a “transparent, understandable procedure”, which he calls “front door”.
“We also need regulations or legislation to create equal conditions so that all communication service providers adhere to the same standard and so that our representatives in law enforcement, national security and public security can continue to do their work.”
Perhaps the most emotional fragment of this extravaganza:
Koumi's speech caused a powerful backlash on the Internet. For example, Daniel Bernstein of the University of Illinois made an ironically outstanding presentation, “Ensure that cryptography remains insecure,” where he led a long history of backdating security services into hardware, software, and cryptographic standards.
Independent security specialist Adam Cowdill believes that the FBI is engaged in a typical substitution of concepts. They call backdoors by another name ("front door", in Koumi terminology) and refer to the protection of public interests. Cowdill is confident that the FBI is setting the stage for a CALEA bill that will give government services access to all user data, with or without a court inquiry.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has not stood aside . Representatives of the Foundation said that the FBI is trying to convince the public of “the possibility of some imaginary version of security, where“ good guys ”can get a backdoor or an extra key to your house, and the bad guys never use it. Everyone with even a rudimentary understanding of security will tell you that this does not happen . Therefore, the “discussion” that Koumi calls for is false, and we suspect that he knows this. ”
The FBI is extremely dissatisfied with how the developers from Apple and Google acted. Moreover, the Bureau considers such a position of these companies antisocial. FBI Director James B Komey (James B Comey) is trying to win public opinion to his side. Koumi's enchanting speech took place on October 16 at the Brookings Institution (Washington), one of the leading expert-analytical centers in the United States, which specializes in social studies, municipal government, foreign policy and the global economy ( transcript ).
The introduction of cryptography in iOS and Android has become the main theme of the FBI Director’s speech. He again repeated the main points of his position.
')
Technology has become a tool in the hands of very dangerous people, says Koumi. Unfortunately, laws are lagging behind technological progress, therefore, law enforcement agencies are not always able to obtain the necessary evidence to prosecute criminals and prevent terrorism. "We have the legal right to intercept and listen to communications and receive information on a court order, but often there is no technical ability to do this."
The main obstacle in the fight against crime, lately, is the increasingly frequent encryption of data, both in real-time communications and information stored on devices.
The director of the FBI says that for the past 20 years, everything has been much simpler, and the intelligence services were able to easily access any necessary information and listened to the phones of the suspects. Now, the objects of surveillance "jump" between different cellular networks and WiFi, use a variety of applications, including VoIP, devices on different platforms.
But worst of all, when using cryptographic data protection. This completely undermines the work of the FBI. The situation is not saved by the fact that the data can be obtained from the cloud backup, says Koumi, because this backup does not contain all the information of the user, and the criminals do not make backups at all.
Koumi believes that encryption is a “marketing tool” for Apple and Google, but it has very serious consequences in real life, because it allows you to hide important information from the law and avoid punishing criminals. “We need our private sector partners [Apple and Google] to step back, take a break and consider changing course.”
The director of the FBI recognizes that encryption is necessary: ​​“The country needs it, the business needs it.” You just have to make sure that you can get any key with the help of a legal procedure. Koumi speaks out against backdoors, proposing instead to introduce a “transparent, understandable procedure”, which he calls “front door”.
“We also need regulations or legislation to create equal conditions so that all communication service providers adhere to the same standard and so that our representatives in law enforcement, national security and public security can continue to do their work.”
Perhaps the most emotional fragment of this extravaganza:
“I think it's time to ask: where are we, as a society? Maybe the principle of the rule of law has ceased to operate in our country, where no one can place himself above the law? Do we really do not trust the government and law enforcement agencies that we are ready to give freedom to criminals ... are ready to leave the victims of crimes in search of justice? "
Koumi's speech caused a powerful backlash on the Internet. For example, Daniel Bernstein of the University of Illinois made an ironically outstanding presentation, “Ensure that cryptography remains insecure,” where he led a long history of backdating security services into hardware, software, and cryptographic standards.
Independent security specialist Adam Cowdill believes that the FBI is engaged in a typical substitution of concepts. They call backdoors by another name ("front door", in Koumi terminology) and refer to the protection of public interests. Cowdill is confident that the FBI is setting the stage for a CALEA bill that will give government services access to all user data, with or without a court inquiry.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has not stood aside . Representatives of the Foundation said that the FBI is trying to convince the public of “the possibility of some imaginary version of security, where“ good guys ”can get a backdoor or an extra key to your house, and the bad guys never use it. Everyone with even a rudimentary understanding of security will tell you that this does not happen . Therefore, the “discussion” that Koumi calls for is false, and we suspect that he knows this. ”
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/240865/
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