Encryption Helps America Work Safely – And That Goes for Congress, Too
This opinion piece was originally published in The Hill.
Over the past month, Americans across the country have adapted to a new reality of life, which includes social distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19. For those fortunate enough to be able to do so, that means learning to work, attend educational classes and socialize from afar using the Internet. For a huge number of Americans, social distancing means little to no work – and even greater uncertainty. Businesses, schools and government entities everywhere are asking the same question, “can we perform our work online and, just as importantly, can it be done securely?”
As Congress acts to respond to COVID-19, it faces a similar challenge. With some Congressional members and staff testing positive for COVID-19, and others choosing to self-isolate, lawmakers are exploring whether they can perform the most critical aspects of their office remotely – deliberation and voting. For Congress to be able to vote remotely on legislation, measures to ensure the integrity of these communications is critical. If even one vote is changed or blocked by a criminal or foreign adversary, the legitimacy of congressional decisions, and thus Congress as a whole, will be called into question. Any digital voting solution would need to rely on strong encryption to be secure.
Encryption is a critical tool to provide confidentiality and integrity to digital communications. Encryption enables much of the flexibility needed for staff to work from Continue reading
