People across the U.S. are getting interested in cybersecurity these days as the battle between the FBI and Apple over developing software to crack an iPhone used by a terrorist in the San Bernardino shooting wages on.
While the Justice Department and other law enforcement agencies are fully behind the FBI's efforts, some in government — like Defense Secretary Ash Carter — aren't sure building "backdoors" to encryption is a good idea on the whole.
While speaking at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, Carter said he wouldn't comment on the specific case before the courts. However, in general he said he's "not a believer in backdoors or a single technical approach" to breaking encryption.
The line got a big round of applause from the cybersecurity professionals in the room.
For the Department of Defense, "Data security — including encryption — is absolutely essential for us," he said. "None of our stuff works unless it's connected … So we're four-square behind strong data security and strong encryption."
To ensure that this fight doesn't lead to problems between the private sector and the government, Carter suggested keeping the lines of communication open and trying to find a way forward in unison.
"It's much better if we do it together. That's the path we need to be on," he said. "Let's be collaborative, let's be technical … and innovate our way" to a solution.
If that doesn't happen, then the norms might be decided by another country that doesn't have American ideals or our best intentions in mind, he added.
No matter where the debate goes, however, Carter said the Apple/FBI case shouldn't dominate the entire discussion.
"Let's recognize that [the encryption debate] is not one case, it's many," he said.
Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.
