Crypto Wars, Round Two: The Debate over Bulk Surveillance and Lawful Access

The Institute for Security, Privacy and Information Assurance (ISPIA) presents Brian LaMacchia as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series. Fifteen years after the “crypto wars” ended, the Snowden disclosures of pervasive surveillance have led our industry to broadly deploy end-to-end encryption to protect customer data in transit and at rest. In the U.S., FBI Director James Comey and others in law enforcement have been vocal about concerns that end-to-end encryption, especially in consumer devices like cellphones, would cause law enforcement to “go dark.” While the Obama Administration has declared that – for now – they would not seek legislation to mandate encryption bypass mechanisms for lawful access, law enforcement is still pushing for either voluntary or – as in the recent case involving Apple – compelled “cooperation” by industry to bypass technical security and encryption mechanisms. This talk gives an overview of these policy issues, places them in historical context and discusses how potential outcomes could impact the design and deployment of future secure systems. About the Speaker Brian LaMacchia is the Director of the Security & Cryptography group within Microsoft Research (MSR) where his team conducts basic and applied research and advanced development. LaMacchia is also a founding member of the Microsoft Cryptography Review Board and consults on security and cryptography architectures, protocols and implementations across the company. Before moving into MSR in 2009, he was the Architect for cryptography in Windows Security, Development Lead for .NET Framework Security and Program Manager for core cryptography in Windows 2000. Prior to joining Microsoft, LaMacchia was a member of the Public Policy Research Group at AT&T Labs—Research. In addition to his responsibilities at Microsoft, LaMacchia is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University-Bloomington and an Affiliate Faculty member of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He also currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and, as General Chair of Crypto 2016, an ex officio member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR). He received S.B., S.M., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 1990, 1991, and 1996, respectively. The Institute for Security, Privacy and Information Assurance (ISPIA) is a multi-disciplinary Institute at the University of Calgary, devoted to research and educational activities in all aspects of information protection, with strong linkages to industry and community.

Location:

Biological Sciences 587

Speaker:

Brian LaMacchia, director of the security and cryptography group within Microsoft Research (MSR)

More information at http://www.ucalgary.ca/events/calendar/crypto-wars-round-two-debate-over-bulk-surveillance-and-lawful-access