Government Restrictions on Encryption within the United States and Around the World :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Government Restrictions on Encryption within the United States and Around the World Introduction In today's society with the increased use of computers, internet, and wireless communications, the need for safety and security has risen dramatically. The internet has become the number one communication medium and is more accessible than ever. Through the internet, vast amount of information is being transmitted between computers. At times, some of the information transmitted can be intercepted illegally, such as personal information and private messages. The percentage of information that is illegally intercepted has been dramatically reduced due to the use of encryption software technology, which was once used by the United States military and government. This technology has given businesses and private users the sense of security in transmitting information through the internet as well as to maintain national security. The use of encryption has been a topic of discussion for the past 20 years. The U.S government has attempted several times to regulate encryption because they fel t that it was a matter of national security that they should have control of the technology and protect us from vulnerability if software is shared or sold to other countries. The effort of encryption regulation by the U.S. was unsuccessful and today there are least restrictions on the use and export of encryption technology. The introduction of encryption regulation in the United States has made a global impact. Other countries, such as China, Russia, and others around the world, have implemented encryption regulations to due to the influence of the U.S. but have restrictions that are far more stringent and harsh. The strong regulations by these countries are creating conflict among private users and foreign companies that export encryption software to these countries. This argument and debate continues between the government, businesses, and encryption companies. The question is should the government have the right to monitor and regulate encryption and what ethical questions does it raise? Background and History of Encryption What is encryption? Encryption is a technological technique that protects and secures the transfer of plain text information between two sources through the use of the internet. This is done by rearranging the text using a mathematical algorithm that renovates the message into an indecipherable form, which can only be unlocked and translated with a use of a key. The strength of the encryption key is measured by its length, which is determined by the number of bits and by the type of encryption program.