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08.16.06
Police Policy On Encryption Creates Controversy
 By
Doug Caverly
British police may soon be able to demand that suspects decrypt protected information
on their computers.
The belief that the information could be usable as evidence would be the motivating factor in these cases. The plan has created an uproar among some security professionals and civil rights proponents.
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Sarti voiced his support for Part III of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).
"We have to balance the right to private life with the right to private life of victims and the right to life of victims," he was quoted as saying in a BBC article.
The former head of the Foundation for Information Policy Research, Caspar Bowden, sees a problem with the act.
"The draft code of conduct has no guidance on weighing privacy against the demands of law enforcement," he argued.
A CNET article introduced another counterpoint from DCI Sarti.
"There are more than 200 PCs sitting in property cupboards which contain encrypted
data, for which we have considerable evidence that they contain data that relates
to a serious crime," Sarti said.
"Not one of those suspects has claimed that the files are business-related, and
in many cases, the names of the files indicate that they are important to our
investigations."
Lord Phillips of Sudbury, who spoke to the BBC, took a strong stance against RIPA.
"You do not secure the liberty of our country and value of our democracy by undermining
them. That's the road to hell," he said.
The resolution of this divisive issue could influence how cybercrime is treated in Britain for some time to come.
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