海角大神

The Edward Snowden leaks have accelerated the sophistication of encryption technologies by 鈥渁bout seven years,鈥� Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told reporters this morning.聽

And that is not a development to be celebrated, he added in remarks at a breakfast hosted by 海角大神.聽

鈥淔rom our standpoint, it鈥檚 not a good thing.鈥澛�

New, commercially available encryption software 鈥渉ad and is having major, profound effects on our ability鈥� to collect intelligence, 鈥減articularly against terrorists,鈥� he warned.

That鈥檚 in large part because the Islamic State is 鈥渢he most sophisticated user by far of the Internet.鈥� They privately purchase software that 鈥渢o ensure end-to-end encryption鈥� of their communications.

鈥淎nd so that is a major inhibitor to discerning plotting, principally by ISIL and others,鈥� Mr. Clapper said, using one acronym for the Islamic State.

The seven year estimation comes from the National Security Agency, he said.聽

It raises the issue of the tension between the need for security against cyber attacks 鈥� which as recently as February Clapper cited as a greater threat than terrorism 鈥� and the opposition to law enforcement against so-called unbreakable encryption software that, they say, could hinder their search for terrorists.聽

Clapper for his part echoed President Obama鈥檚 warning against 鈥渁bsolutist positions鈥� on the topic. 鈥淪omehow, we need to find a balance here,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know the technicalities of how we might arrive here, how we thread the needle鈥� between how to 鈥渆nsure privacy and security on an individual basis, as well as security in the context of what鈥檚 best for the collective good.鈥�

At the moment, he added, that goal 鈥渋s an elusive holy grail that we鈥檙e pursuing.鈥�

That said, he warned that the development of unbreakable encryption, which he likened to the possibility that that it could, in essence, 鈥済ive the terrorists a pass.鈥澛�

Clapper warned Monday that the group has clandestine cells that are plotting more terrorist attacks in Germany, Italy, and England.

To this end, the United States is stepping up efforts to promote more intelligence sharing. In the meantime, since the recent IS attacks on Paris and Brussels, US intelligence officials have learned some things about the terrorist group, he said.聽

For starters, they are 鈥渧ery op-sec conscious,鈥� Clapper said. A former Air Force lieutenant general, he was using military parlance for 鈥渙perational security.鈥�

It is clear that IS is also taking advantage of the migrant crisis in Europe, he added.聽

And that poses a formidable challenge for Europe. There is a 鈥渇undamental conflict鈥� between European Union incentives and drives to promote openness and free movement of people and goods with privacy, 鈥渨hich is in some ways in conflict with the responsibilities that each country has as a nation-state to protect the borders and securities of their nations and peoples,鈥� Clapper said.聽