Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

insidesources.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 312 posts

Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

#81

Post by pachydermic »

GrinningFool wrote: post #37

Increasingly we're seeing 'encryption' discussed in mainstream media as a tool that can only be used for nefarious ends. Kind of like how they talked about "cookies" in the late 90s and early 00s. It's unfortunate that there's no way [without a lot of money] to launch a campaign that highlights the fact that most sensitive online transactions rely on encryption - banking, purchasing, etc - to protect you from The Bad…

To be fair, I bet a lot of agencies would be ok with just having the keys at all times so that they can do surveillance. You could still have encryption for logins, financial transactions, etc.

I don't think that's a good idea either, but there are people who would probably see that as a reasonable middle ground.

Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

#82

Post by PKop »

smcl wrote: post #67
GrinningFool wrote: post #37

Increasingly we're seeing 'encryption' discussed in mainstream media as a tool that can only be used for nefarious ends. Kind of like how they talked about "cookies" in the late 90s and early 00s. It's unfortunate that there's no way [without a lot of money] to launch a campaign that highlights the fact that most sensitive online transactions rely on encryption - banking, purchasing, etc - to protect you from The Bad…

Funny how politicians twist reason to suit their own ends. Bad guys use guns, but apparently were not allowed to ban them because they'll somehow find a way to get them no matter what. So the solution is to legalise them. However when it comes to encryption, bad guys use it so it needs to be banned! It's like they have it completely backwards.

Who are "they"? Many politicians are on the same side of each debate, wanting to restrict the rights of free people in the name of safety and security. I'm curious, do you see a distinction between the two issues? Sounds like you're on opposite sides for each of them.

Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

#83

Post by CamperBob2 »

smcl wrote: post #67
GrinningFool wrote: post #37

Increasingly we're seeing 'encryption' discussed in mainstream media as a tool that can only be used for nefarious ends. Kind of like how they talked about "cookies" in the late 90s and early 00s. It's unfortunate that there's no way [without a lot of money] to launch a campaign that highlights the fact that most sensitive online transactions rely on encryption - banking, purchasing, etc - to protect you from The Bad…

Funny how politicians twist reason to suit their own ends. Bad guys use guns, but apparently were not allowed to ban them because they'll somehow find a way to get them no matter what. So the solution is to legalise them. However when it comes to encryption, bad guys use it so it needs to be banned! It's like they have it completely backwards.

Some would argue that banning tools of any kind is a stupid and feckless way to address cultural problems.

Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

#85

Post by morninj »

caoilte wrote: post #75
simonh wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work for a Bank and we use encrypted external email all the time. We have to for regulatory reasons. I'm sure it's the same for defence contractors, and it's a prudent precaution for governments and many other businesses and in many parts of the world.

banks... defence contractors... governments... If you guys didn't have something horrible to hide you wouldn't need this encryption.

I'm happy that my bank uses encryption. I bet most people with bank accounts would agree.

Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

#86

Post by Zigurd »

mtgx wrote: post #12
josefresco wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The language seems pretty reasonable... "The attackers are believed to have communicated using encryption technology, according to European officials who had been briefed on the investigation but were not authorized to speak publicly. It was not clear whether the encryption was part of widely used communications tools, like WhatsApp, which the authorities have a hard time monitoring, or something more elaborate. Inte…

Sure, if you think unproven hearsay in NYT that we all ought to take for granted is "reasonable". If the authorities believe it was the encryption to blame, then they should come out and say it outright - with details, of course. They shouldn't hide under the "anonymous officials" tag which "believe" it was encryption the culprit that stopped them from learning about the attacks, and nothing else. It could've been ju…

Unproven hearsay in the New York Times has never led to disaster before Judith Miller.

Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

#87

Post by Zigurd »

jostmey wrote: post #7

The best encryption is simply to communicate the old fashioned way. Just because they had some playstations and access to "whatsapp" does not mean the terrorist trusted electronic devices.

If your favorite tool is the pervasive surveillance hammer, you try to make everything look like a nail.

Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

#88

Post by WildUtah »

coldcode wrote: post #24

You could plan terrorist activity using postcards. Should we ban the Post Office? You could use phone calls from pay phones (where they still exist) and people used to do that all the time to plan crimes. You could go on vacation together and plan something. You could use voice or text chat in an online game to plan stuff. The people in charge of these organizations are not the suicide bombers; the head folks know fu…

I have a friend who used to get erotic messages from her mathematician boyfriend steganographically encrypted on postcards. I had to show her how to decrypt them. It was pretty standard cryptanalysis once I guessed that the messages existed. Some of them were filthy.

Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

#89

Post by JustSomeNobody »

GrinningFool wrote: post #37

Increasingly we're seeing 'encryption' discussed in mainstream media as a tool that can only be used for nefarious ends. Kind of like how they talked about "cookies" in the late 90s and early 00s. It's unfortunate that there's no way [without a lot of money] to launch a campaign that highlights the fact that most sensitive online transactions rely on encryption - banking, purchasing, etc - to protect you from The Bad…

Hmmm... i wonder if this would be a good use of Facebook and Twitter.

#FightForEncryption

Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack

#90

Post by Zigurd »

ndm00 wrote: post #31

This issue brings up a larger point that many in the tech world have ignored for awhile. Now that end to end encryption is easily accessible by everyone, how do the authorities figure out beforehand when a terrorist attack will take place? The answer is not banning encryption technologies or giving authorities a 'key' as the FBI director has proposed. But now authorities have a very difficult problem on their hands.…

Like they did before there was an internet to surveill. This is not a novel problem.
Post reply on HN