The War on Encryption

[Roy]

Yeah, if I knew that the "time served" was finite, and I could just psych myself up to endure the 2 years or whatever, that'd be one thing. If I knew I was going to sit there until I cooperated, that'd be a whole 'nuther story.

Oh, I see what you mean. It's a 2-year maximum.

[Cow Poke]

Oh, I see what you mean. It's a 2-year maximum.

Yes, and the accused will weigh that 2 year maximum against whatever sentence he may get if he unlocks the device and provides evidence of murder, extortion, or whatever for a much longer sentence.

[Sparko]

Yes, and the accused will weigh that 2 year maximum against whatever sentence he may get if he unlocks the device and provides evidence of murder, extortion, or whatever for a much longer sentence.

This is when it is good to have a remote wipe available on the device. Then you can remotely wipe all data from the device and go ahead and unlock it for them.

My phone has such a feature on it because I have work emails on it. If my phone gets lost or stolen, the company can remotely wipe it. At least their emails.

And you can remotely format your iphone or ipad from icloud.

http://osxdaily.com/2012/06/05/remot...phone-or-ipad/

[Teallaura]

Well if they are going to violate the 4th amendment, then the way to do it would be to force the suspect to unlock the device or account in question, NOT to put backdoors into every encryption method. At least that way only the suspect's privacy is being violated and not potentially everyone's.

Agreed.

UK law does exactly that, by making it an offence to refuse to decrypt data subject to a court warrant. Though obviously some people consider a two-year sentence preferable to what they would get if they unlocked their data.

Psst! Guys! The Fifth Amendment! You know, the one that says you can't be forced to incriminate yourself?

[Cow Poke]

This is when it is good to have a remote wipe available on the device. Then you can remotely wipe all data from the device and go ahead and unlock it for them.

My phone has such a feature on it because I have work emails on it. If my phone gets lost or stolen, the company can remotely wipe it. At least their emails.

And you can remotely format your iphone or ipad from icloud.

http://osxdaily.com/2012/06/05/remot...phone-or-ipad/

Yup

[Teallaura]

Yup

Um, doesn't that make this whole argument moot?

[Cow Poke]

Um, doesn't that make this whole argument moot?

Only if all parties follow the law.

[Sparko]

Um, doesn't that make this whole argument moot?

if you are smart enough to have it set up that someone would wipe your phone and computers remotely for you if you were arrested. Most crooks aren't that smart though. And once you are arrested it is hard to get access to a method of wiping your phone from the jail.

[Cow Poke]

if you are smart enough to have it set up that someone would wipe your phone and computers remotely for you if you were arrested. Most crooks aren't that smart though. And once you are arrested it is hard to get access to a method of wiping your phone from the jail.

Heck, a lot of crooks post the incriminating evidence on the internetzweb for all to see!

[Sparko]

Heck, a lot of crooks post the incriminating evidence on the internetzweb for all to see!

Yeah. makes my job easier. One of my job functions is to gather social media for legal cases. People will do some really stupid stuff. Like claim they have a bad back from a car accident, then post themselves riding cross country on ATVs on facebook.

[Cow Poke]

Yeah. makes my job easier. One of my job functions is to gather social media for legal cases. People will do some really stupid stuff. Like claim they have a bad back from a car accident, then post themselves riding cross country on ATVs on facebook.

Yeah, my wife is a hiring manager, and they get a lot of applications for student workers. A quick look at an applicant's social media accounts gives an interesting perspective to their chances for employment.

[Sparko]

Yeah, my wife is a hiring manager, and they get a lot of applications for student workers. A quick look at an applicant's social media accounts gives an interesting perspective to their chances for employment.

I have my social media locked down pretty tight and if I were looking for a job, I would first go through and remove anything I thought might be controversial or political, because you never know what the hiring manager would think one way or the other. I also never make "public" posts.

[Teallaura]

Yeah. makes my job easier. One of my job functions is to gather social media for legal cases. People will do some really stupid stuff. Like claim they have a bad back from a car accident, then post themselves riding cross country on ATVs on facebook.

Which also makes this discussion moot!

[Sparko]

Which also makes this discussion moot!

well it's my discussion so moot away.

[Raphael]

Well if they are going to violate the 4th amendment, then the way to do it would be to force the suspect to unlock the device or account in question, NOT to put backdoors into every encryption method. At least that way only the suspect's privacy is being violated and not potentially everyone's.

That why China takes the approach they have.
No need for inserting backdoors to do the encryption. Just install an app that screen-grabs everything and sends it to the government servers and insist that everyone installs the app. Lately they've even been insisting that tourists to a certain province (I can't recall the name, one with a number of Muslims living in it) install the app, or you don't visit.

the major backdoor with encryption is that the meatware on the other side needs to be able to read the message, so the message has to get decrypted.