The US Government Seeks to Protect Sensitive Data from Dangerous Hackers
The Department of Homeland Security uses a computer program named “Einstein” to attack hackers who threaten government networks. A program like Einstein is necessary to national security. Underlining the need for vigilance, an attack originating from Chinese servers recently penetrated Canadian government servers. However, the Center for Democracy and Technology is concerned about the latest version of Einstein, which can not only detect malware, but also knows how to read private emails.
Can the FBI be Trusted With Your Personal Communications?
Public confidence is low in the wake of a series of wire-tapping scandals. Many are skeptical that the government will use information-gathering technology responsibly. Nevertheless, in 2010 the FBI was given $233.9 million for an “Advanced Electronic Surveillance” program. And law enforcement officials are currently working on a bill that will force Facebook, Skype, Blackberry, etc. to decrypt their communications in response to government orders.
Enforcement for the bill may pose a problem, since many of the companies Congress wishes to regulate are not even based in the United States. But that isn't the only problem with mandated decryption. Giving the government a private backdoor into your communications increases the risk of hackers finding and using that same door. For example, in 2005 hackers took advantage of a legally mandated wiretap function to listen to phone calls made by the prime minister of Greece.
Fighting Tech Savvy Criminals
On the other hand, public officials complain about drug lords using peer-to-peer software, and think they could bust up more cartels if only they could intercept their messages. A somewhat bombastically written position paper on the CIA website says, “The world in 2015 will depend upon computer networks for communication, energy, transportation, financial transactions, public safety, and thousands of other tasks. Hostile nations and groups seeking to disrupt critical infrastructures will have access to the technology needed to pursue cyber espionage and cyber attack.” The paper argues that since bad guys will certainly have cyber espionage tools, the good guys need to keep up.
Whether the technology is wielded by the white hats or the black hats, the information landscape of the world is changing. Will the ability to keep secrets one day be as obsolete as the horse-drawn carriage and the hoop skirt?
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