Debate Topic: Strong Encryption should be restricted to licensed users only:

Before deciding if “strong encryption should be restricted to license users only”, we first have to ask ourselves, why do we encrypt?  Encryption is used to protect data that is stored on computers, data centers and protected when being transmitted electronically (email or internet).  Its purpose is to protect our privacy and anonymity, in some cases our lives.

Argument in agreement of the motion: Strong Encryption should be restricted to licensed users only

Encryption has been around as far back as 1900 BC, Egyptian scribes converted messages into groups of unreadable figures in an effort to protecting messages while transported from one location to another.  Upon the arrival to its destination, the message(s) was transposed using other characters, symbols, numbers or pictures to reveal the meaning of the sent message.  Before David-Hellman key exchange and RSA algorithms in the mid-1970s the real users of encryption were government agencies and armies. 

The United States encryption Policy is in place to control and monitor the export of strong encryption.  According to the policy U.S companies are not allowed to export products with strong encryption, unless there is a key recovery feature, allowing the U.S Government access to encryption keys.  This policy is in place to prevent the export of products containing encryption without an export license, which contains a separate section for encryption items (Baker, S., & Hintze, M. 2000).

I am for strong encryption restrictions for only license users when it is deemed necessary such as the need to encrypt certain government or high security information that if accessed would be deemed a national security.  It allows high risk organizations to secure their Intellectual property from getting into the wrong hands.  

Argument against the motion: Strong Encryption should not be restricted to licensed users only

Encryption is intended to protect our data from unwanted access, this is important for everyone not only a select few.   Strong encryption has the ability to protect our data and devices from malicious attackers. Who determines what data is important and what is not, we as individuals must be given the opportunity to determine which of our information should be deemed important and is worthy of being strongly encrypted.  I believe that in order for us as individuals to maintain some sort of privacy in the age of where we are constantly tracked be it via traffic cams or our electronic footprint we leave when on the Internet, we ae constantly exposed to the possibility of our personal information falling into the wrong hands.

In closing, my opinion on encryption is that it is important in preserving our privacy, however it does not automatically replace security, there are limitations where encryption does not protect our devices from being hacked, but it is facilitates the protection of our information that we believe necessary for our privacy to remain intact.

Reference:

Baker, S., & Hintze, M. (2000, June 1). Government Regulation of Encryption: Domestic & International Developments. Retrieved October 8, 2015, from http://encryption_policies.tripod.com/us/baker_060100_regulation.htm

What is encryption? - Definition from WhatIs.com. (2014, November 1). Retrieved October 8, 2015, from http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/encryption

Natalia