The Cyber Scene After Sept. 11: The Debate over Encryption and Steganography
Source: CanadaComputes
Fears that encryption technology will facilitate communication for terrorist groups have prompted a recent debate in the US over the idea of giving government a special "back door" software key to systems on the market.
At present, even Carnivore (formally known as DCS-1000), the FBI’s e-mail surveillance tool, can’t penetrate encrypted communications. The "back door" proposal isn’t new: during the 1990’s, the Clinton administration wanted not just to introduce a "Chipper Clip" allowing law enforcement agencies access to encryption codes, but also to restrict the export of powerful encryption systems by U.S. firms.
