Despite all of the excitement associated with the InfoBahn, one potential “oil slick” is the government’s encryption technology … While it has not been well publicized, a large number of system intrusions already involve cryptography. The intruders use it to cover their tracks. The encryption genie is already out of the bottle; a policy geared towards trying to control it appears to be unenforceable.
Predictor: Katz, Randy
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 paper debriefing his work on the White House Information Technology Task Force and “wiring the White House,” Randy Katz writes about the potential privacy problems the government sees with the Nation Information Infrastructure, quoting Michael Nelson: ”Despite all of the excitement associated with the InfoBahn, one potential ‘oil slick’ is the government’s encryption technology. A strong tension exists between the needs for personal privacy on the one hand and law enforcement on the other. It is possible for a senior administration official, Dr. Michael Nelson, special assistant within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, to utter, in the same speech (HPCC Symposium, March 1994) … the following: ‘We need to protect the American public (from terrorists, child pornographers, etc.) … People should be able to use the NII to consult with their lawyer, their accountant or their doctor just as though they were in the same room. (Implying Big Brother should not be in that room.) While it has not been well publicized, a large number of system intrusions already involve cryptography. The intruders use it to cover their tracks. The encryption genie is already out of the bottle; a policy geared towards trying to control it appears to be unenforceable. The Administration has retreated from its initial proposal to use only National Security Agency algorithms and hardware. But the concept of key escrow remains a controversial cornerstone of the government’s plan.”
Biography:Randy Katz worked to promote the national information infrastructure in his role as a program manager and deputy director in the Advanced Research Projects Agency Computing Systems Technology Office from January 1993 to December 1994 He was awarded the 1995 Computer Research Association Distinguished Service Award for promoting the High-Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) program during his tenure. (Technology Developer/Administrator.)
Date of prediction: March 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Communication
Subtopic: Security/Encryption
Name of publication: Professor Katz Went to Washington: The Adventures of an Academic in the Halls of Power
Title, headline, chapter name: Taking a Ride on the Information Superhighway
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://http.cs.berkeley.edu/~randy/ToWashington/IWay.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Kohlhagen, Kelly C.