UK Government Wants a Backdoor Into Windows

REBloomfield writes "The BBC is reporting that the British Government is working with Microsoft in order to gain backdoor access to hard drives encrypted by the forthcoming Windows Vista file system. Professor Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge University, urged the Government to contact Microsoft over fears that evidence could be lost by suspects claiming to have forgotten their encryption key."

Comments

Secret evidence is fine by me - for aliens

[ccmay]

The judge just says "We can't tell you what the evidence is, you know, for reasons of national security, but trust me...it's pretty convincing. Guilty! [BANG]"

You are exaggerating. Yes, aliens can be deported on the basis of secret evidence, but so what? They are not citizens, and I don't give a shit what happens between them and the immigration authorities. Coming to this country is a privilege, not a right. We can deport aliens for any reason or no reason at all, any time we like, the same as any other sovereign nation.

It is indisputably true that the government doesn't have the resources or the desire to hassle immigrants who are working hard and minding their own business, and equally true that there are some bad apples among the pool of recent immigrants that have only been discovered by secret surveillance techniques like Echelon. I don't have any problem with them being kicked out, and I don't want to see our intelligence abilities compromised by public exposure in court. So tough shit for the poor innocent fund-raisers for the cuddly widdle Palestinian suicide bombers. The sooner the fucking murderous filth are expelled, the better.

Now, if American citizens could be convicted of crimes on the basis of secret evidence with no jury trial, then you'd have a legitimate complaint, and I'd be right behind you. But this is not the case at present, and I doubt very much it ever will be.

-ccm

Re:What is the point of filesystem encryption?

[Emetophobe]

How will getting hold of the computer give them the password? It's not stored on the computer.

How can your password be verified without a stored password to check it against? It would definitely be stored on the computer.

Re:Interesting Points

[operagost]

I'd tell you more, but then I would have to ask Dick Cheney to pepper you with his birdshot.

I'd rather tangle with Dick Cheney's shotgun than ride "shotgun" with Ted Kennedy.

Re:If you are caught having...

[operagost]

Please give an example of a western government who tortured its citizens (not subjects, thanks).