Marking Time

Just as he did with complex mathematical theories in Fermat’s Last Theorem, in The Code Book Simon Singh brings the equally complex world of cryptography to the general reader with seemingly effortless ease. The book is filled with easy to follow explanations and examples, and interesting anecdotes from the history of cryptography. From Mary Queen of Scots and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics to the Enigma machines of World War II and the RSA algorithm that we use today, it’s always accessible but never simplistic or patronizing.

Writing in 1999 - when the threat of terrorism did not occupy the minds of the majority to the same extent as it does today - he gives his thought on future attitudes to cryptography:

…nobody can foresee with certainty the shape of cryptographic policy ten years from now. However, I suspect that in the near future the pro-encryption lobby will initially win the argument, mainly because no country will want to have encryption laws that prohibit e-commerce. However, if this policy does turn out to be a mistake, then it will be possible to reverse the laws. If there were to be a series of terrorist atrocities, and law enforcers could show that wire-taps would have prevented them, then governments would rapidly gain sympathy for a policy of key escrow. All users of strong encryption would be forced to deposit their keys with a key-escrow agent, and thereafter anybody who sent an encrypted message with a non-escrowed key would be breaking the law. If the penalty for non-escrow encryption was sufficiently severe, law enforcers could regain control. Later, if governments were to abuse the trust associated with a system of key escrow, the public would call for a return to cryptographic freedom, and the pendulum would swing back. In short, there is no reason why we cannot change our policy to suit the political, economic and social climate. The deciding factor will be whom the public fears the most - criminals or the government.

Leaving aside the cheap shot that it’s sometimes hard to tell the government from the criminals I think we have a long way to go before the general public is informed enough to even understand what’s at stake, never mind swing the pendulum. Singh highlights the necessity of public awareness and knowledge to keep governments in check. The Irish government is tending towards more secrecy and more surveillance; more power and less accountability. Which is why it is so important to support initiatives such as Digital Rights Ireland.