Why Weakening Encryption for Law Enforcement Access is a Bad Idea

May 2, 2020
Hosted by Rebecca Herold

[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]

Guest Information

Episode Description

Efforts are increasing in the US & worldwide to force tech companies to build encryption that would “allow only law enforcement and government” groups to get into encrypted files & communications. The claims are that this is necessary to fight online crimes such as human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. We definitely need to address these horrible crimes. However, are these commands from governments & law enforcement groups technically feasible? Why aren’t these groups including technology experts in their forums discussing these needs? What other methods of catching such criminals are available? What would be the impact to everyone if they were forced to use such weakened encryption tools? Would the criminals even use such weakened encryption? Will 5G have any impacts on strong encryption? Listen in as Dr. Eugene Spafford discusses the issues that lawmakers, law enforcement, and the general public need to understand about how encryption works & important considerations.

Data Security and Privacy with the Privacy Professor

New shows the first Saturday of each month at 8 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Business Channel

There are more information security and privacy threats than ever before. As more technologies emerge, more surveillance tactics are used, and more artificial intelligence systems are deployed, cybersecurity and privacy risks grow exponentially. Rebecca has spent her entire career working to improve information security and privacy protections, by not only raising awareness of the issues within businesses and other types of organizations, but also by raising the awareness of these risks in the public and helping them to understand how to better protect their own personal data, allowing them to take their privacy protections into their own hands. Rebecca offers information about these existing and emerging security and privacy risks and provides fresh insights into the impacts of exploiting these risks, and gives guidance, tips, expert advice and news, with fascinating guests, to help all organizations, and the general public, understand what they need to do to mitigate these risks.

Rebecca Herold

Rebecca has 25-plus years of systems engineering, information security, privacy and compliance experience, is CEO of The Privacy Professor(R) consultancy she founded in 2004, and Co-Founder/CEO of Privacy Security Brainiacs online services, where Rebecca engineered the systems and created all the content, including automated risk assessments and training courses. Rebecca has authored 20 books, contributed to dozens of other books, and published hundreds of articles. Rebecca led the NIST Smart Grid Privacy Subgroup for 7 years, a member of the NIST Privacy Framework development team, and is a NIST Cybersecurity for IoT Program team member. Rebecca has provided expert witness services for HIPAA compliance, IoT security, privacy and location tracking, retirement community members’ personal data misuse, and other cases. Rebecca was co-founder and officer of the IEEE P1912 Privacy and Security Architecture for Consumer Wireless Devices Working Group, and is on numerous advisory boards. Rebecca was Adjunct Professor for the Norwich University MSISA program for 9 years. Rebecca has received numerous awards, including named as a Top 100 Women Fighting Cybercrime and a Cybersecurity Woman of the Year. Rebecca has provided keynotes on 5 continents and is frequently interviewed on TV and in international publications. Rebecca holds the following certifications: FIP, CDPSE, CISSP, CISA, CISM, CIPT, CIPM, CIPP/US, FLMI. Ponemon Privacy Fellow. Rebecca is based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.


This site is protected by Trustwave's Trusted Commerce program