Law Enforcement Extremes to Break Encryption

White House Considered Bypassing Encryption with Malware Disguised As Updates

Russell Brandom | September 24, 2015

How do you serve a warrant on an encryption algorithm? For 20 years, governments have been struggling with that question, putting pressure on tech companies to build backdoors into security systems as the companies increasingly tell them it simply can't be done. The tension has grown particularly strong after the Snowden revelations caused companies to tighten up, leading the government to look for ever more creative ways to break the deadlock.

How the NSA Plans to Infect 'Millions' of Computers with Malware. Source: https://theintercept.com/2014/03/12/nsa-plans-infect-millions-computers-malware/

<more at http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/24/9393091/white-house-break-encryption-updates-working-group; related links: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-ponders-how-to-seek-access-to-encrypted-data/2015/09/23/107a811c-5b22-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html (Obama administration explored ways to bypass smartphone encryption. September 24, 2015) and http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/world/read-the-obama-administrations-draft-paper-on-technical-options-for-the-encryption-debate/1753/ (Read the Obama administration's draft paper on technical options for the encryption debate
Over the summer, a government working group on encryption developed a draft memo including policy principles and an analysis of technical approaches that companies might use to provide law enforcement access to encrypted data. Obama administration quietly explored ways to bypass smartphone encryption. September 23, 2015[?])>