[Cryptography] This is not the end...

[Phillip Hallam-Baker]

On Mon, Mar 21, 2016 at 9:18 PM, Perry E. Metzger <perry at piermont.com> wrote:
> The FBI dropping its request under the All Writs Act, regardless of
> its short term motives, is clearly not the end of Crypto War Mk. II
>
> We can expect to see those who would eliminate our best tools for
> computer and internet security for their own short term gain return
> to attack again soon.
>
> Next time, the world's technologists need to be much better prepared.
> In particular, we need to explain to the media, right now, early and
> often, that this is not about concealing your porn habits from
> your spouse, but rather about making sure that malefactors cannot
> break into SCADA systems and make nuclear reactors go critical.
>
> We cannot rest, as short sighted and technologically illiterate
> politicians will not rest.

I think we need to clarify where the lines are.

The iPhone 5 was not sold as being secure against government warrants.
That didn't come till later.

What matters is the right to build and sell stuff that is secure
against mass surveillance. Putting a backdoor into future phones is
the problem.

A system that requires someone to commit contempt of court to preserve
its security isn't secure enough any more.