Recently, politicians seeking a scapegoat for terrorist attacks at home and abroad have attempted to pin the blame on encryption. This is a critical error because encryption is one of the most important and widely used tools to keep us safe in the information economy.
Encryption is simply a way to “lock” information so that only those with the proper “key” can access it. Encryption is a powerful tool for whistleblowers and women seeking to avoid harassment and stalking.
There is no evidence that terrorists in Paris ever used encryption on their phones. In the San Bernardino shooting case, the government was able to crack the iPhone in dispute without assistance from Apple. Apple is correct that our information economy needs encryption to thrive. Our banking and credit card system could not exist without it.
Cybercriminals grow more sophisticated every day. Outlaw or weaken encryption and nobody is safe.
TESS GADWA
CEO, Yesexactly.com
Founding Member, PrivacyPatriots.org
Greenfield