NSA knows who you've called.

[Nick Owen]

Perry E. Metzger wrote:
> dan at geer.org writes:
>> While I agree with you, the public does not,
>> so far as I can tell, find itself willing to
>> risk insecurity for the benefit of preserving
>> privacy, as this article in today's Boston
>> Globe would tend to confirm.
> 
> I'm sure. On the other hand, I think it is our place, as security
> professionals, to explain why the tradeoff is a false one. Respect for
> individual rights is not something we do in good times because it is a
> luxury we can afford when there is stability. It is something we need
> most in bad times, because it is what keeps us safe and maintains
> stability itself.

Or to teach pollsters to ask the correct questions.  Take this survey:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_nsa_051206.htm

What it this question from the poll:
It's been reported that the National Security Agency has been collecting
the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans. It then
analyzes calling patterns in an effort to identify possible terrorism
suspects, without listening to or recording the conversations. Would you
consider this an acceptable or unacceptable way for the federal
government to investigate terrorism? Do you feel that way strongly or
somewhat?

Was instead:
The NSA has been collecting the phone call records of tens of millions
of Americans possibly in violation of the law.  Would you consider it
acceptable for the government to break the law to investigate terrorism?

Nick

-- 
Nick Owen
WiKID Systems, Inc.
404.962.8983
http://www.wikidsystems.com
Commercial/Open Source Two-Factor Authentication
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickowen

---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Cryptography Mailing List
Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to majordomo at metzdowd.com