Before We Even Know The Details, Politicians Rush To Blame Encryption For Brussels Attacks

from the it's-almost-like-you-have-an-agenda... dept

Tue, Mar 22nd 2016 11:37am — Mike Masnick

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You may remember that, right after the Paris attacks late last year, politicians rushed in to demonize encryption as the culprit, and to demand backdooring encryption before the blood was even dry. Of course, it later turned out that there was no evidence that they used encryption at all, but rather it appears that they communicated by unencrypted means. Just yesterday, we noted that the press was still insisting encryption was used, and using the lack of any evidence as evidence for the fact they must have used encryption (hint: that's not how encryption works...).

So, it should hardly be a surprise that following this morning's tragic attacks in Brussels that have left dozens dead and many more injured, that encryption haters, based on absolutely nothing, have rushed in to attack encryption again. The first up was Rep. Adam Schiff, who quickly insisted that he had no actual facts on the matter, but we should be concerned about encryption:

“We do not know yet what role, if any, encrypted communications played in these attacks,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in a statement.

“But we can be sure that terrorists will continue to use what they perceive to be the most secure means to plot their attacks,” he added.

Schiff, of course, is the same guy who just a few months ago was loudly promoting CISA, saying we needed it to protect our privacy from hackers. Of course CISA doesn't do that. You know what does? Encryption. The very encryption Schiff now wants to blame.

Not one to be left out, Senator Dianne Feinstein jumped in with a thinly veiled statement in support of her supposedly soon to be released bill, mandating backdoors in encryption:

“We must use all the tools at our disposal to fight back,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat and vice chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement on Tuesday. “The way to prevent attacks like this is to develop good intelligence and always be vigilant.”

"All the tools" likely means including her plans to break encryption.

And, of course, the many in the press are no help at all. There have been reports that a talking head on NPR blamed encryption this morning, while a NY Times reporter, Rukmini Callimachi -- who was the lead reporter on that ridiculous article yesterday insisting that the lack of encryption was evidence of encryption -- is tweeting up a storm claiming that ISIS is now encouraging the use of encryption, even though the questionably-sourced document she links to (which is written in English?!?) isn't actually recommending encryption, but things like Tor and VPNs, which are designed to merely mask your IP address.

26. ISIS is now advising its "brothers" in Belgium to only go online with encryption. (Thanks @MichaelSSmithII) pic.twitter.com/eWb4SD3INi
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) March 22, 2016

It's like she sees encryption in absolutely anything. Meanwhile, as a number of other commenters have pointed out, if "ISIS brothers" actually follow the advice in that document, it will only likely help them get caught, as a sudden and abrupt change in behavior is a pretty good way for law enforcement to make you a suspect. And, really, encouraging people to jump onto tools like Tor that they don't understand, but which they think will keep them safe, almost certainly will lead to ridiculously bad implementations that make it easier to spot what they're doing.

Either way, in the wake of yet another attack we're left with people who don't understand and dislike encryption, rushing to demonize it for no good reason at all.

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Filed Under: adam schiff, attacks, blame, brussels, dianne feinstein, encryption, isis, rukmini callimachi

74 Comments

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Jessie (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 11:42am

Encryption=terrorism. That's why I only login to my bank portal at Starbucks over an HTTP connection. Now I have nothing to worry about anymore.
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- orbitalinsertion (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:37pm
  
  Re:
  Terrorism doesn't kill people, encryption does.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Huh, 23 Mar 2016 @ 5:21am
  
  Re:
  This is either top quality bait or top notch ignorance. You ONLY check your bank account on unsecured public WiFi? I feel like you say this with pride as if you know what you're talking about. Laughable.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Swush, 23 Mar 2016 @ 6:43am
    
    Re: Re:
    Wow, how can you keep your hair in order, with all the things going over your head?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 11:56am

> "But we can be sure that terrorists will continue to use
> what they perceive to be the most secure means to plot
> their attacks"

Hello, Rep. Adam Schiff

Does this mean terrists will NOT be using the government mandated, back-doored methods of encryption?

Who actually WILL be using the government mandated, back-doored methods of encryption?
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- Justme, 23 Mar 2016 @ 2:56pm
  
  Re:
  Who actually WILL be using the government mandated, back-doored methods of encryption?
  
  Certainly not those who are promoting it!
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 11:57am

Figures. The bodies have barely had time to cool, and the scumbags are already rushing to use it to push their agendas. If terrorists succeed in destroying our freedoms, it'll be because they cause enough fear for slime like Adam Schiff to have their way.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:03pm
  
  Re:
  ...If terrorists succeed in destroying our freedoms...
  
  Regret to inform you this occurred a long time ago.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 9:18pm
    
    Re: Re:
    It's not the terrorists who are destroying freedoms it's the government destroying freedom under the guise of security
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 7:59am
  
  Re:
  ISIS is just a tool the real terrorists are using to get enough support for their dictatorial laws they want to pass on us.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 11:59am

If an Apple phone was used then i am sure the FBI will have a few choice words to say both to and about Apple and will be once again doing what they can to drag Apple into court again!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:43pm
  
  Re:
  I don't doubt you're right... but I do have to wonder about the *Federal* bureau taking an event that happened in a different country and using it as an example of why they should be allowed to compel Apple to make their devices less secure.
  
  I think the expanded mandate for the FBI to head up domestic terror investigations has led to "investigation creep" where they've abandoned federal crimes in pursuit of international thoughtcrime.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 8:03am
    
    Re: Re:
    Not to mention committing terrorist acts themselves to justify their illegal spying on everyone.
    
    Doesn't matter if it is am fake terrorist plot, it's still a a terrorist act.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:01pm

Ignorance on display
The ignorant arrogance of US legislators is stunning. They think if they force US companies to put in backdoors, no one will be able to use encryption from any of the other 210+ countries in the world.

Tor, if not used carefully just might not actually protect you. Even Tails has some significant warnings about its use. Anyone actually serious about their or their groups security would already have read those pages, and would not be planning on them protecting anyone.

I bet there are lots more face to face meetings happening.
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Ninja (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:09pm

It's like bogeyman for children. That being encompass everything kids fear or don't understand. These people just call their bogeyman encryption and terrorism.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
SpaceLifeForm, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:11pm

The insanity continues
The problem is, how do you tell
insane 'leaders' that they are in fact
insane. You can't make them seek help,
you can't make them listen to facts and
logic. 99% of the time you can't even
get them to listen at all as they are
locked in to running their mouth, all
the while babbling bullshit.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:15pm

i can just see the debate:

hmmm . . . lessee, should we bomb?

uh, 1) we retaliate and gain cred.

2) we scare the begeebers out of weak-kneed brussels sprouts.

3) we get almost unfettered access to u.s. communications.

wow.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Joel, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:21pm

What TOR is
The Onion Router uses layers over layers of SSL encryption. From each node the next one is contacted over a new encrypted connection through which the previously already encrypted traffic is tunneled.

VPNs almost always use encrypted communication channels to eastablish the network as well.

I am fully on the side of strong encryption but somehow implicitly constraining the word to encryption at rest while excluding encrypted channels for encryption in transit is misleading and casts unfair doubt on the position we represent.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:27pm
  
  Re: What TOR is
  TOR and VPNs may use encryption, but in the cases referenced here, don't use it to hide the traffic itself, only it's origin. Once the traffic gets past the last TOR node or the VPN end point, it's broadcast in the clear. They're not designed to hide what you're surfing, only where you're surfing from.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Socrates, 22 Mar 2016 @ 2:31pm
    
    Re: Re: What TOR is
    TOR and VPNs may use encryption, but in the cases referenced here, don't use it to hide the traffic itself, only it's origin. Once the traffic gets past the last TOR node or the VPN end point, it's broadcast in the clear. They're not designed to hide what you're surfing, only where you're surfing from.
    This is correct. And it have been highlighted by individuals logging their exit nodes and publishing troves of findings because to few know this.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Joel, 22 Mar 2016 @ 3:34pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: What TOR is
      Alright fair point they do not provide encryption end to end.
      
      However, I maintain that it is unhelpful to say "...isn't actually recommending encryption, but things like Tor and VPNs, which are designed to merely mask your IP address." when both clearly use encryption and, depending on what protocols you use and where your connection is logged by an adversary, can well make the difference between a cleartext stream and a useless encrypted stream.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 3:45am
  
  Re: What TOR is
  Is this one of those "behind 7 proxies" joke?
  People have been caught even using TOR. In fact using it can make one seem even more suspicious.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:33pm

Bubble Gum
“We do not know yet what role, if any, encrypted communications played in these attacks,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in a statement.

“But we can be sure that terrorists will continue to use what they perceive to be the most secure means to plot their attacks,” he added.

In other news...

We do not know yet what role, if any, bubble gum played in these attacks.

But we can be sure that terrorists will continue to chew what they perceive to be the most delicious flavors while plotting their attacks.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:34pm

Were the government to succeed in mandating backdoors in encryption, would the government also be required to use encryption that has backdoors in it? If the mandates specify the government doesn't get backdoors, does that affect only the Federal government or local government as well? Where does it end?

As I would say to a child, "This is NOT OK!"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:49pm
  
  Re:
  Were the government to succeed in mandating backdoors in encryption, would the government also be required to use encryption that has backdoors in it?
  
  The last time the government tried to mandate back doors, the plans were to exempt government employees and bankers. When asked why those people people would be exempt and not regular citizens, President Clinton answered that it was because "those people are GOOD citizens". So there you have it. Government employees and bankers = good citizens. Everyone else = bad citizens.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - That One Guy (profile), 23 Mar 2016 @ 2:25am
    
    Re: Re:
    Wow, you don't get much more blatant 'You are the peons, we are your betters' than a line like that. The peons will make do with whatever their betters graciously allow them to have and/or use, their betters on the other hand can use whatever suits them best.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- orbitalinsertion (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:47pm
  
  Re:
  The government seems to be in the failzone with encrypting and securing about anything, so, not even something to worry about/
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:41pm

“But we can be sure that terrorists will continue to use what they perceive to be the most secure means to plot their attacks”

Like talking in person or in a car where they are not recorded? OMG!!! They are still one step ahead of us!
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- Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:51pm
  
  Re:
  Like talking in person or in a car where they are not recorded? OMG!!! They are still one step ahead of us!
  
  That's what GM's OnStar is for.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Peter (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:51pm

It's about dodging accountability, not about encryption.
The security agencies have, for all practical purposes, unlimited funds and unlimited rights to do whatever necessary to keep us safe. They should have known where to look,and who to look for, half a year after Paris.

And yet, they failed to protect us. Again, after failing to act on early warnings on the Paris attacks.

Perhaps it is easier for them to bury that topic and talk about encryption instead ...
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- Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 8:04am
  
  Re: It's about dodging accountability, not about encryption.
  What if they knew about the attack but let it happen to further their own agenda
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
MadAsASnake (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 12:57pm

And once again we have on clear display a sickening attack that wasn't thwarted - not in the slightest - by all those haystacks of data. They didn't stop it. They didn't even detect it until the bombs were going off. This is what we pay billions in "intelligence" for? Encryption? this is a group whose MO to date doesn't particularly use it. Not even on the playing field.
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- Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:14pm
  
  Re:
  And once again we have on clear display a sickening attack that wasn't thwarted - not in the slightest - by all those haystacks of data. They didn't stop it. They didn't even detect it until the bombs were going off.
  
  Maybe not, but you can bet they've probably got a pretty good profile of your political beliefs and transgressions. Those "random" tax audits and traffic stops aren't always as random as parallel construction would make them seem.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:18pm
  
  Re:
  This. These minor attacks, like Paris, are the work of incompetent amateurs who barely know what they're doing. Their methods are sloppy, their tactics are questionable, and their results are poor. Yet -- even with billions, if not trillions of dollars, with rooms full of supercomputers, armies of analysts, ever-more-intrusive surveillance -- governments STILL can't stop these clowns.
  
  They won't be able to stop them if encryption suddenly vanishes either.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:00pm

Sad Reality
In politics it seems truth matters far less than perception.
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sigalrm (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:26pm

Lets look at the timelines...
Last Friday, Salah Abdeslam, one of the suspects in the Paris attacks, was arrested in Brussels. He apparently stated, during questioning, that additional attacks were planned.

Last night, additional attacks were carried out. In Brussels.

They had a terrorist suspect- in-hand, being interrogated, and by several accounts cooperating with the authorities that had him in custody - and the attacks still caught authorities unaware.

And the go-to evil technology is encryption?
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- Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 8:06am
  
  Re: Lets look at the timelines...
  no, the ultimate evil is free thought. Enslave your population to your way of thinking seems to be the end goal for western "democracies"
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:29pm

We should outlaw private, in-person conversations as well. If we aren't willing to give up this freedom to protect ourselves from terrorism, we'll never be free(tm)!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Tom Mink (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:30pm

Narrative expansion
The old model: these guys are lone wolves, isolated from society. Watch out for loners and antisocial people. Be afraid

The new model: these guys are organized and positively chatty with fellow travelers over encrypted communications. They're all around you and can be anyone (especially ethnic and religious minorities). Be afraid.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ryunosuke (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:31pm

because exposing millions of American's personal information TOTALLY stopped terrorist plots, right?

or how about exposing 10's of millions of medical records, or how about our power infrastructure, that will show those dirty terrorists not to attack us, amirite guys?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:48pm

Without people there would be no terrorism.

Let's kill all the people!
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orbitalinsertion (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:52pm

I'm just trying to figure out what the next thing is going to be, after encryption.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- That One Guy (profile), 23 Mar 2016 @ 2:29am
  
  Re:
  Curtains, locks, the ability to speak in private. You know, anything that allows actions and communication that isn't recorded, because only criminals want privacy.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 8:08am
  
  Re:
  pretty sure it will eventually be removing anything that could be used as a weapon from the serfs.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Kal Zekdor (profile), 23 Mar 2016 @ 8:39am
  
  Re:
  My guess? Right to assemblage.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 1:57pm

the reason for that is obvious. politicians think they are excluded from surveillance so want to get it enacted on everyone else! that way, as soon as something they did comes to light, they will know what is going to be done and when/how so as to enlighten everyone else of what occurred. even if no encryption was involved, to these politicians it will have been because it gives the excuse of having tougher laws put in place that only apply to ordinary people!!
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Uriel-238 (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 2:05pm

because OF COURSE THEY DO
Derailing encryption is not about fighting terrorism. Fighting terrorism is the justification.

Much like Big Media fighting for piracy and IP maximalism is not about fighting pirates, it about controlling the mediums. It's about keeping people paying per-head-per-viewing.

Crypto allows people to do things out of the perview of the government. That means they lose control. People might think. They might determine that the government is not their friend and does not preserve the best interests of the people.

And this terrifies every official and every rich cigar-smoking bastard down to the last Havana.

So, it doesn't matter if the terrorists just shouted and used semaphores, the politicos are going to scream encryption.

Of course they will.
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- Socrates, 22 Mar 2016 @ 3:15pm
  
  Re: because OF COURSE THEY DO
  That is an immensely important distinction. My impression is that many US citizens does not understand how tightly information is controlled in the US. For instance journalists in NRK beta, a technology and test-bed part of the Norwegian state broadcasting, noticed that several factual articles (in Norway) that documented US wrongdoings were inaccessible in USA. They even seemed to not exist. When they were back in Norway they appeared again. This only happened with critical articles. No news station followed up this scandal, even in Scandinavia. The Chinese firewall is better known.
  
  The UK have had equally nasty censure for years now. UK news outlets (including the Guardian) were not allowed to report vital facts about Trafigura
  
  Some of these facts are surprisingly accessible from other jurisdictions like this NRK article about Trafigura
  
  A quote from the documentary:
  The British newspaper, The Guardian, has also obtained a copy of the Minton-report, but according to a High Court ruling have until today not been allowed to mention it, report on it or in any way disclose that they have the document.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 2:21pm

I don't understand
Why are we attempting to pass laws in the United States for phones sold in the United States so that we can "be vigilant" of people who buy their phones outside of the United States?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 8:36pm
  
  Re: I don't understand
  "so that we can "be vigilant" of people who buy their phones outside of the United States?"
  
  Aah, another innocent. Let me help you. There is no "outside". It is a myth. A fairy story you might have heard when you were young. It just does not compute. Remember this, for your own good.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ryunosuke (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 2:24pm

actually, tangent time...
Feinstein is a representative of California, Tech industry is a BIG BIG part of California's industry, Feinstein *seems* to be trying to kill off the Tech Industry (via bills, inflammatory speech, etc.)

The obvious million dollar question is *WHY* is she trying to kill off a major sector of her business base, and a significant portion of ALL of her other business bases, aside from money of course. I am talking about finances (CC companies, banks, etc.) Aerospace Industry, etc.

of ALL of the top 30 publicly traded companies in Cali for 2011, I can guarantee that ALL of them uses encryption in some form or another, if not outright producing it.

So the question is... Why doesn't the entire Tech industry, Banking industry, and pretty much all the top companies that uses encryption start running anti-Feinstein ads to get her out of a position of power?

(Note: this is from someone who does not live in Cali and assumes that there are no ads running as such, I could be mistaken though)
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- Uriel-238 (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 2:42pm
  
  California
  I live in San Francisco. Not that that really gives me much more authority to explain things..
  
  We weren't very fond of Feinstein when she was mayor here.
  
  Boxer and Feinstein have secure positions. The GOP can't find a moderate among their ranks that can dethrone them without wanting to clear-cut the forests for factories and close down all the abortion clinics, and we Californians like our forests and our abortion clinics.
  
  And they know this so they send token, weak candidates to run against our Senators, and no-one gets elected.
  
  Since they're already secure and DNC, the DNC doesn't bother to attack them from the left.
  
  Because frankly, they way, way too conservative (or more exactly, too corporatist) for my tastes, both being IP maximalists and tech idiots.
  
  They're also pro surveillance, pro-torture*, pro-drone-strike and pro-police-state.
  
  I'd really like someone who was actually against these things.
  
  At least not anti-torture enough to end the CIA Extrajudicial Detention and Interrogation program.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 3:01pm
    
    Re: California
    Boxer and Feinstein have secure positions.
    Fwiw, Wikipedia cites this Barbara Boxer video for the assertion:
    On January 8, 2015, Boxer announced that she would not seek re-election in 2016.
    I haven't watched the video to see if it really says what Wikipedia claims.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anon, 22 Mar 2016 @ 9:23pm
    
    Re: California
    I'd really like Dr. Briefs from Dragonball to run against Boxer, just to get voter survey forms that ask, "Boxer or Briefs?"
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 8:10am
  
  Re: actually, tangent time...
  for personal gain of course. She has already proven she is willing to throw everyone around her under the bus if it means she gets extra privledges.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 2:35pm

I personally have this vision that Theresa May is rubbing her hands with a big, evil smile on her face.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 2:41pm

"we're left with people who don't understand and dislike encryption, rushing to demonize it for no good reason at all."

One of whom will soon be the next leader of the free world.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 3:37pm

Facts
Shut up! Those "facts" just get into the way of the truth )policy(. Besides facts are just one point of viewing things. They might be real but if the public says otherwise those "facts" become lies so you are spreading lies!
Shame on you! How dare you? To question those poor brave and honorable citizens? Because the public knows what is real! They are the people who suffer from those things and because of it they are the ones who we should put our trust in. They did know the truth a while back when we tortured and burned those darn witches and they do know the reality today as it is.
Praise those who believe what is happening and curse them who say killing 40 civilians to burn some money is the same. Because those 40 civilians died by the hand of God trough a missile launched via a drone which got is commands by a warrior of God in a USAF container.

Don't you hate those religious fundamentalists? 30 dead mimimi, 40 dead and it was the right thing to do. I am so glad we are the good guys!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Mar 2016 @ 4:42pm

Loving the moral cowardice from our elected representatives here.

Oh, wait, no, that other thing.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Greybeard, 22 Mar 2016 @ 5:58pm

“We must use all the tools at our disposal to fight back"
Presumably that includes torture, summary execution, and indiscriminate bombing of any country we decide we don't like.

Seriously?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Uriel-238 (profile), 22 Mar 2016 @ 6:13pm
  
  Yeah, about that...
  US torture, drone strikes, disregard of due process, et. al. have kinda ruined my perception that we're anything close to civilized.
  
  I'm not even sure the Islamic State is really worse, at least they're pretty straightforward about the atrocities they commit.
  
  We like to hide ours from our own people, so for all we know we're piling bodies in the prisons.
  
  In fact we are piling bodies in the prisons, the question is whether it's dozens or thousands.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 8:11am
  
  Re: “We must use all the tools at our disposal to fight back"
  just a matter of time before the world gets fed up and attacks the US mainland instead of all these proxy wars.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Henry, 23 Mar 2016 @ 12:47am

NON RELATED
There are always problems with the world..problem is...we give politicians way too much space that they think they know what problems need solving...Here's one that we all don't think it is one
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YYAN, 23 Mar 2016 @ 1:40am

... soon everyone will be forced to choose - freedom or security!
Why they want us to believe that you can`t have them both?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 3:48am
  
  Re:
  Actually there is no choice.
  There will be no freedom, by virtue of the security mandate.
  But there will also be no security by virtue of the fact that in such a system nobody can protect you from the state's ill intentions.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 8:12am
    
    Re: Re:
    slavery is freedom
    
    war is peace
    
    lobotomy is peace of mind
    
    etc
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
frank87 (profile), 23 Mar 2016 @ 2:13am

The dutch version of the onion demonstrated it well: The distance Abdeslam fled was two streets down the block: http://speld.nl/2016/03/18/zie-hier-de-fascinerende-route-door-europa-die-abdeslam-de-afgelopen-3-ma anden-heeft-afgelegd/

These people live in neighbourhoods, completely isolated from authorities. They communicate face to face.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
David Sickmiller, 23 Mar 2016 @ 3:52am

Document is clearly recommending encryption
This article claims "the questionably-sourced document she links to isn't actually recommending encryption", but the document states:
Encrypt all your jihadies Files
Seems like it's pretty clearly recommending encryption.

This doesn't undermine the argument in my opinion, but let's be straight about the facts.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 7:52am

never waste an opportunity to exploit a tragedy. Or if you had prior knowledge before the attack happened, never stop an attack you can instead exploit after it happens.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Mar 2016 @ 8:21am

Too bad we dont require politicians to be sane. Dianne Feinstein would be out of the job.
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Modoc, 23 Mar 2016 @ 9:42am

Old saying
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."
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Pepper Spray, 23 Mar 2016 @ 12:10pm

Encryption is not all its cracked up to be
Most of these people do not even understand how encryption works. Yes encryption is extremely hard to crack and makes the data extremely hard to view (without the psk). But if you work from the angle of finding the PSK you can easily "break" the encryption. The whole deal with Apple and not opening the encryption just makes our government look like a joke. You are telling me our national security cannot figure out a way to crack a password that is most likely 8 characters or less?!?! They can copy the contents of the flash storage to a closed environment which can be reset before the wipe occurs allowing them to try all possible permutations against the data with no possibility of destroying the original. We need to higher better security experts to work in these positions not the old-timers who do not understand the tech and take the complete wrong approach in solving what seem to be complex but simple problems.
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Steve, 23 Mar 2016 @ 1:14pm

So thanks to "Terrorism", the Government now scans both our bodies & our communications. They know everywhere we go & who we talk to & can control our right to leave. They can kill us from the sky without legal justification.
One day people will ask why we let this happen.
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Barbara, 24 Mar 2016 @ 6:38pm

Apple v Justice
Children: wake up and smell the advertising in Apple's grandstanding on the iPhone encryption case. This beats a Steve Jobs press conference, even if he were to give one from some place in the post-life icloud. To paraphrase the seasoned cop's opinion of locks: they only keep out the good guys. Apple knows that; you know that, even if it's terrifying to finally admit it.
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