FBI director reignites 'not so clean cut' encryption debate
More than a year after the last high-profile showdown between the FBI and Silicon Valley over widespread encryption, recently-installed FBI Director Christopher Wray again signaled that his agency will continue to fight for access.
"This is an urgent public safety issue," Wray said at the International Conference on Cyber Security, according to Reuters. Encryption prevented the bureau from accessing data on nearly 4,000 devices in fiscal 2017, he told the assembled audience.
"I just do not buy the claim that it is impossible" to find a solution, Wray added.
This is the second time since his ascension to the top of the FBI that Wray has chosen to join the encryption debate.
"To put it mildly, this is a huge, huge problem," Wray said last October. "It impacts investigations across the board narcotics, human trafficking, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, gangs, organized crime, child exploitation."
That Wray has now repeatedly voiced these concerns may signal that the bureau, and by extension the federal government, could be planning a more aggressive push for access to encrypted data.
The issue has been on the back burner since the infamous 2016 showdown between Apple and the FBI, which was sparked by an iPhone belonging to the perpetrators of the San Bernardino shooting. The government attempted to prod Apple and other tech companies to create encryption "backdoors" in their products, resulting in an enormous backlash from both the technology and security communities.
"This is an urgent public safety issue," Wray said at the International Conference on Cyber Security, according to Reuters. Encryption prevented the bureau from accessing data on nearly 4,000 devices in fiscal 2017, he told the assembled audience.
"I just do not buy the claim that it is impossible" to find a solution, Wray added.
This is the second time since his ascension to the top of the FBI that Wray has chosen to join the encryption debate.
"To put it mildly, this is a huge, huge problem," Wray said last October. "It impacts investigations across the board narcotics, human trafficking, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, gangs, organized crime, child exploitation."
That Wray has now repeatedly voiced these concerns may signal that the bureau, and by extension the federal government, could be planning a more aggressive push for access to encrypted data.
The issue has been on the back burner since the infamous 2016 showdown between Apple and the FBI, which was sparked by an iPhone belonging to the perpetrators of the San Bernardino shooting. The government attempted to prod Apple and other tech companies to create encryption "backdoors" in their products, resulting in an enormous backlash from both the technology and security communities.
Comments
Crimanls will always find the way to keep secrets. Especially because there are many encryption tools on the market.
But us, law abiding citizens, will be left without any easily accessable privacy protection. We just don't take enough time to be interested in it. And we get burned.
But goverment wants to control us.
F.. them.
"...The FBI has been unable to access data in more than half of the devices that it tried to unlock due to encryption, Wray added." So we're talking about 14K devices. I assume the half they were able to access were older iPhones and Android devices, throwing in a few Windows phones Microsoft gave them the keys to.
"The FBI supports strong encryption and information security broadly, Wray said ..." Here's where Wray needs the most education. In order for encryption to be strong, it can never be broken.
Christopher Wray, DOB 12/17/1967, Republican and a LAWYER!!!! The last part says it all. No offense to those choosing private schools, but... "He attended the Buckley School in New York City and the private boarding school Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts." Person of privilege demanding everyone follow what he says while not knowing much of anything about computers.
The other issue, which they figured out when they were trying to do this in the past that country's wouldn't buy U.S. made products because the U.S. Government could gain access to them.
The simple fact is, most encryption software these days is made outside of the U.S just because of the U.S. Government for years trying to get their backdoor. So 99% of the Good American's will have crap Security with backdoor leaks because that's what will happen. It'll leak from something in the world. That is if it doesn't get hacked first because they know there's a backdoor to hack into.
In the end, anyone with half a brain can install 3rd party software onto their Android phone which have NO BACKDOORS. So they really didn't solve anything. They really just don't get it. Sometimes you just have to take some of the bad to allow people to keep their rights, protection and security. Most web pages you go to these days are Encrypted. So A assume the Government would want access to that to spy on people also.
In the end, getting on someone's phone AFTER THE FACT didn't stop a single thing from happening.
As soon as the tech is available, and it will get there eventually, you'll see this kind of thing being done routinely and the real horror show will begin.
As Maxwell Smart would say 'the old argument from disbelief'.
I can say and probably many would agree with me that 'I just find it impossible to belief that a gigantic cloud of gas, in the form of molecular hydrogen can condense under the influence of gravity into an iPhone, given enough time for heavier elements to spew forth and condense into planets and intelligent life to self assemble and then assemble robots that self assemble iPhones.
What you think, but never say, is also on their wish list.
Thought police here we come...
Buy your prison stock now, and get ahead of the rush.
I’m sure Google will be happy to index everything for them. I bet ads popping up on politicians computers will shock you...