[Cryptography] Police Chiefs & Prosecutors Seek Access to Encrypted Comms

[Henry Baker]

FYI -- The drumbeat continues...

http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/IACP_NDAA_Statement_EncryptedCommunications.pdf

Police Chiefs and Prosecutors Join Together to Seek Lawful Access to
Encrypted Communications

Alexandria, VA ­ Recognizing the challenges posed to public safety by
encrypted communications, the International Association of Chiefs of
Police (IACP) and the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA)
have joined forces to press for immediate action to address this
critical threat and urge public officials and industry leaders to work
with law enforcement to develop solutions that will help protect the
public.

The proliferation of sophisticated encryption technology and other
technological barriers have increasingly hindered law enforcement’s
ability to lawfully access criminal and terrorist related
communications.  The inability of law enforcement to overcome these
barriers (known as "Going Dark" in the law enforcement community) has
already led to numerous instances where investigators were unable to
access information that could have allowed them to successfully
investigate and apprehend criminals or prevent terrorists from
striking.

In response to this growing problem, earlier this year, the IACP
convened a Law Enforcement Summit on "Going Dark" to help identify
legal, technical, and operational concerns associated with the issues
surrounding the gathering and use of data related to communications
and mobile devices.  NDAA, as well as a broad array of law enforcement
leaders, investigators, and subject matter experts participated in the
summit.

The summit report, which can be viewed here, reviews the current
capabilities of law enforcement agencies, the impact that
technological advances are having on law enforcement investigations,
and the role of industry in this debate.  The summit report also makes
clear that our laws have failed to keep pace with new technology and
that urgent and immediate action needs to be taken.

http://www.theiacp.org/portals/0/documents/pdfs/IACPSummitReportGoingDark.pdf

To that end, the IACP and NDAA are calling for legislative changes to
the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), FCC
rules and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) in order to
bolster our public safety efforts. IACP and NDAA are committed to
finding a solution to this critical issue, which balances the needs of
the law enforcement community with protecting the public’s right to
privacy.

The IACP and NDAA look forward to working with lawmakers to strengthen
our current laws, and ensure that they are representative of today’s
technology and the challenges public safety officials face in
preventing crime and safeguarding their communities.