Encryption and Interception of Communications

1
Encryption and Interception of Communications

• October 8, 2004
• CS4001B
• Fall 2004

2
Debate

• Divide into 2 groups - one group will be the
  government and the other group will be privacy
  advocates. You will debate the issues of
  encryption and interception of communications.
• As a group, decide on a team leader. The team
  leader will give an introductory speech revealing
  your side of the issues.
• Each team member will take on the role of
  specialist for one topic that will be
  discussed. Some of the possible topics are
• Wiretapping
• Echelon
• Carnivore
• Cryptography
• Uses of Encryption
• Digital signatures
• Steganography
• Wartime methods
• Secrecy
• Export Controls
• Domestic Encryption Controls

3
Controversies

• Interception of communications (via telephone,
  email, and the internet) by government agencies
• Government attempts to restrict the use of secure
  encryption

4
Controversies

• It is the sense of Congress that provides of
  electronic communications services and
  manufacturers of electronic communications
  service equipment shall ensure that
  communications systems permit the government to
  obtain the plain text contents of voice, data and
  other communications when appropriately
  authorized by law.
• Is this like requiring building contractors to
  provide the government with master keys for all
  buildings in the U.S.??

5
Controversies

• CALEA Communications Assistance for Law
  Enforcement Act in 1994
• Carnivore
• Echelon
• Encryption controls
• The government maintains that these systems help
  government agencies protect us from drug dealers,
  organized crime, other criminals and terrorists.

6
Intercepting Communications

• Wiretapping
• Designing communications systems for interception
  and tracking
• Carnivore
• Echelon

7
Wiretapping

• Originally just for telephone lines
• 1928 Supreme Court ruled that wire tapping by
  law-enforcement agencies was NOT
  unconstitutional, but it could be banned by
  Congress
• 1934 Federal Communications Act No person not
  authorized by the sender could intercept and
  divulge a message (no exception)
• 1937 Supreme court ruled that wiretapping
  violated the law (was ignored)
• 1967 Katz v. United States Supreme Court
  ruled that intercepting telephone conversation
  without a court order violated the 4th Amendment
• 1968 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Ace
  Congress explicitly allowed wiretapping and
  electronic surveillance by law-enforcement
  agencies, with a court order
• Extended to electronic communications
• Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986
  (ECPA), which was amended in 1994, extended
  wiretapping restrictions to electronic
  communications including email, cordless and
  cellular telephones, and paging devices