In the movies, the good guys (and sometimes the bad guys) are almost always able to break into the encrypted files on someone’s computer — at least when the plot requires it. Sometimes it takes a while, but it’s kind of assumed that mere mortals cannot hide their digital stuff from people determined to crack through to it.
(On one episode of the late, unlamented “Enterprise,” the communications officer broke through military encryption manually, because, you see, she was good at languages. ARGH!)
Enterprise was a few miles beyond utter nonsense, but, in fact, the idea that the government (or determined people in general) can access encrypted files if it needs to isn’t much more realistic.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The encryption software availble — free — to the average user is uncrackable if used correctly.
One excuse the British government evidently had for holding suspected terrorists for up to 90 days without charging them was that it needed time to break the encryption on their computers. But, echoing my point in New Scientist, a security expert says that’s nonsense.
But Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at the University of Cambridge, says that breaking into highly encrypted material is no longer possible. “You find the key lying around, or you give up.”
