[Cryptography] WashPo: Leaked NSC Memo on Encryption

[Henry Baker]

At 08:34 AM 9/17/2015, Bill Cox wrote:
>Thanks for the OCR version.  Just reading the summary, it sounds like someone in our administration has a solid grasp of the issues, and is making the right call.  It sounds like we're pushing for legalization of strong encryption globally.

This leaked memo is what is usually called in Washington a "trial balloon" -- basically a *troll* to see what various "[wooden] stake holders" will say.  I wouldn't call the caterers to celebrate just yet.

Litt seems almost as certain as Comey was re a possible July 4th attack (engineered, it turns out, by the FBI itself through its own informants).

['Law enforcement officials said [the father,] Capt. Ciccolo [,] alerted counter-terrorism authorities about a year ago'

'According to the FBI, the younger Ciccolo said he was “inspired” by the Marathon bombing and the use of pressure cooker bombs, and told the FBI undercover operative, “Allahu Akbar!!! I got the pressure cooker today.”'

https://abcnews.go.com/US/officials-son-boston-police-captain-arrested-terrorist/story?id=32414150
]

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“[Congressional sentiment] could turn in the event of a terrorist attack or criminal event where strong encryption can be shown to have hindered law enforcement”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/tech-trade-agencies-push-to-disavow-law-requiring-decryption-of-phones/2015/09/16/1fca5f72-5adf-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html

Obama faces growing momentum to support widespread encryption

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Although “the legislative environment is very hostile today,” the intelligence community’s top lawyer, Robert S. Litt, said to colleagues in an August e-mail, which was obtained by The Post, “it could turn in the event of a terrorist attack or criminal event where strong encryption can be shown to have hindered law enforcement.”

There is value, he said, in “keeping our options open for such a situation.”

Litt was commenting on a draft paper prepared by National Security Council staff members in July, which also was obtained by The Post, that analyzed several options.

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