CS 127 Crypto Policy Discussion

Discussion on Cryptography Policy

CS 127/CSCI E-127 Fall 2013
Prof. Salil Vadhan

On Thursday November 21, we will have an in-class discussion on cryptography policy (after finishing up zero-knowledge proofs with a fun physical demonstration).  You should read a sample of the material below (and/or other relevant readings you find online - let us know!) ahead of time, and come to class prepared to discuss the issues.  Commenting on this page via NB is encouraged and is another way to participate in the discussion.

Some Discussion Questions

In the unlikely event that we run out of steam with the above questions, here are some other crypto policy questions we could discuss:

Readings

Historical context: debates in the 1980's and 1990's on key escrow and crypto export controls:
http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/12/magazine/battle-of-the-clipper-chip.html
http://epic.org/crypto/

On the NSA's role in crypto standards and potential backdoors:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/09/nsa-backdoor/all/
https://cdt.org/blogs/joseph-lorenzo-hall/2409-nist-sha-3
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2013/10/defending_again_1.html
https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/felten/on-security-backdoors/

The case for NSA surveillance:
http://www.newrepublic.com/node/115002/
http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/press_room/2013/NSA_Activities_Valid_FI_Targets.pdf
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2013/10/23/edward-snowden-could-have-raised-nsa-spying-concerns-without-going-to-media

On NSA's cryptanalytic capabilities:
https://www.schneier.com/essay-446.html

On the recourses that private citizens & companies have:
https://www.schneier.com/essay-450.html
https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/felten/silk-road-lavabit-and-the-limits-of-crypto/

Some courses if you're interested in these kind of issues:
HLS Spring 2014 Reading Group: Security, Power, and the Internet
Computer Science 105. Privacy and Technology (fall course)
Government 1430: The Politics of Personal Data (fall course)
[Computer Science 301qc. iLaw: Internet Technology, Law, and Policy]