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Former NSA GC: Google and Apple could be hurting themselves by encrypting their operating systems

Former NSA general counsel Stewart Baker had some interesting thoughts on current U.S. technology companies, specifically their choices to encrypt.

"The state department has funded some of these tools, such as Tor, which has been used in Arab Spring revolutions or to get past the Chinese firewall, but these crypto wars are mainly being fought between the American government and American companies," said Baker.



Both Apple (with iOS 8) and Android (with Android Lollipop) have begun encrypting their operating systems, making it supposedly nearly impossible for users to be spied on or for police authorities to take data from the devices.

Baker says that encryption was the downfall for BlackBerry (although, I would disagree), as encrypting user data limited its business in countries that require government oversight such as India, Arab Emirates, China and Russia. "Blackberry pioneered the same business model that Google and Apple are doing now - that has not ended well for Blackberry," added Baker. "They restricted their own ability to sell. We have a tendency to think that once the cyberwar is won in the US that that is the end of it - but that is the easiest war to swim."

Source:
Guardian

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 6 Nov 2014 11:17

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• 2 comments

• Morreale

  Wtf? I thought the only thing that kept BB relevant WAS the security. Hence all of the government and corporate contracts they acquire and maintain to supply devices for, and the fact that they're trying to push their security onto other platforms so business can choose to turn away from their hardware but they can still get a cut of the pie. Propaganda, or am I missing something?.
  
  I just switched to a Q10 and I think its great, btw.
  

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  6.11.2014 20:24 #1

• Menion

  This sounds just like something someone would say if they were irritated their work was going to be more difficult. Every press release the NSA has made since Snowden has convinced me they think the American population is literately retarded. Of course they would be pissed if Google & Apple actually encrypted their data, but seeing it will most likely not be open encryption and money buys back doors, I wouldn't trust it regardless.
  

  7.11.2014 04:08 #2