Cryptography Reference
In-Depth Information
9. So you can protect your personal information from being ex-
ploited by terrorists, drug dealers, child pornographers and
money launderers.
10. So the police can communicate with undercover agents infil-
trating the gangs of bad people.
Chapter 22 examines
the promises and perils
of this technology in
more detail.
There are many other reasons, but I'm surprised that government
officials don't recognize how necessary these freedoms are to the
world. Much of government functions through back-corridor bar-
gaining and power games. Anonymous communication is a stan-
dard part of this level of politics. I often believe that all governments
would grind to a halt if information was as strictly controlled as some
would like it to be. No one would get any work done. They would just
spend hours arguing who should and should not have access to in-
formation.
The Central Intelligence Agency, for instance, has been criticized
for missing the collapse of the former Soviet Union. They contin-
ued to issue pessimistic assessments of a burgeoning Soviet military
while the country imploded. Some blame greed, power, and politics.
I blame the sheer inefficiency of keeping information secret. Spy-
master Bob can't share the secret data he got from Spymaster Fred
because everything is compartmentalized. When people can't get
new or solid information, they fall back to their basic prejudices—
which in this case was that the Soviet Union was a burgeoning em-
pire. There will always be a need for covert analysis for some prob-
lems, but it will usually be much more inefficient than overt analysis.
Anonymous dissemination of information is a grease for the
squeaky wheel of society. As long as people question its validity and
recognize that its source is not willing to stand behind the text, then
everyone should be able to function with the information. When it
comes right down to it, anonymous information is just information.
It's just a torrent of bits, not a bullet, a bomb or a broadside. Sharing
information generally helps society pursue the interests of justice.
Secret communication is essential for security. The police and the
defense department are not the only people who need the ability to
protect their schedules, plans, and business affairs. The algorithms
in this topic are like locks on doors and cars. Giving this power to ev-
eryone gives everyone the power to protect themselves against crime
and abuse. The police do not need to be everywhere because people
can protect themselves.
For all of these reasons and many more, these algorithms are
powerful tools for the protection of people and their personal data.
