Comments
  1. WIREDSteven Levy2/1/9336 min
    2 reads3 comments
    9.5
    WIRED
    2 reads
    9.5
    You must read the article before you can comment on it.
    • deephdave
      Top reader of all timeScoutScribe
      2 years ago

      RSA, PGP and Cypherpunks

      "We aren't going to be secure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects unless we get a better understanding of cryptography," he says. "Our government is building some of those tools for its own use—there have been breakthroughs—but they're unavailable to us. We paid for them."

    • DellwoodBarker2 years ago

      Wow! Outstanding Read!

      Surprised about only two reads today ~ Wut?

      Fascinating also in light of it’s historical significance to the present day.

      Personally, I feel this deserves to go in the books of Best Ever reads. Would give it 10+.

      You may be planning a political campaign, discussing your taxes, or having an illicit affair. Or you may be doing something that you feel shouldn't be illegal, but is. Whatever it is, you don't want your private electronic mail or confidential documents read by anyone else. There's nothing wrong with asserting your privacy. Privacy is as apple- pie as the Constitution.

      What if everyone believed that law-abiding citizens should use postcards for their mail? If some brave soul tried to assert his privacy by using an envelope for his mail, it would draw suspicion. Perhaps the authorities would open his mail to see what he's hiding. Fortunately, we don't live in that kind of world, because everyone protects most of their mail with envelopes. So no one draws suspicion by asserting their privacy with an envelope. There's safety in numbers. Analogously, it would be nice if everyone routinely used encryption for all their e- mail, innocent or not, so that no one drew suspicion by asserting their e-mail privacy with encryption. Think of it as a form of solidarity.

      If privacy is outlawed, only outlaws will have privacy. Intelligence agencies have access to good cryptographic technology. So do the big arms and drug traffickers. . . But ordinary people and grass-roots political organizations mostly have not had access to affordable military grade public-key cryptographic technology. Until now.

      1. Update (9/6/2021):

        P.s. This exceptional read brings to mind this Masterpiece of Classic Important Essential Cinema. If you have never viewed it - do so, STAT.

        https://youtu.be/YsShZNHmpGE