We Stand With Global Encryption Day
Tomorrow is October 21st and as everyone knows it will be Global Encryption Day. Put on by the Internet Society this day is an opportunity to recognize the importance of end-to-end encryption and advocate against any proposals that try to undermine it.
While I usually find “holidays” like this a little over the top, I will note that this technology is worth protecting. Encryption is a vital component of modern cybersecurity and data protection for Internet users.
Eight years ago, tech entrepreneur Sunday Youkabatis published an oped that I have reference so many times, “Encryption is the Second Amendment for the Internet.” His main thesis was that encryption allows Internet users to protect themselves against government and corporate surveillance efforts that are intruding into our lives. Allowing users to “fight back” against unwanted invasions of their privacy. When looking at various legislative and regulatory proposals to undermine this protection, it’s understandable why Internet users would see this akin to gunowners opposing efforts to weaken their 2nd Amendment rights.
Encryption ensures that only authorized individuals or systems can access sensitive information. Scrambling data into an unreadable format, which can only be decrypted by someone with the appropriate key. This means that even if unauthorized parties gain access to the encrypted data, they cannot make sense of it.
In a digital age where vast amounts of data are transmitted over networks. End-to-end encryption provides a way to secure this data during transmission. Without it, data is vulnerable to interception by hackers, leading to data breaches, identity theft, and other cybercrimes.
It's crucial role in securing online transactions, including banking, e-commerce, and other financial transactions. It ensures that sensitive information such as credit card numbers and personal details are secure during online purchases, reducing the risk of financial fraud. But it is also vital for personal communication.
Encrypted apps are regularly used by dissidents protesting their regimes, such as those in Hong Kong, Cuba and elsewhere. It can also be helpful for whistleblowers to share vital information without surveillance or even every day people who want to have security that their conversations are secured.
While some politicians claim that encryption helps the “bad guys” in reality once encryption is weakened, the only people who will be powerless are those who are law-abiding. It’s that Second Amendment framing coming back again.
As our team at Digital First Project sees more efforts domestically and globally to undermine encryption we plan to be more outspoken in defending what we see as an essential digital tool.