Bloomberg:

I am reminded of an article I wrote four years ago cautioning America’s leaders against making technology and security policy decisions for short-term gains without considering the second- and third-order implications down the road.

Unfortunately, the encryption debate has changed little since then. Law-enforcement agencies advocate for “extraordinary access” to encrypted data to aid investigations – claiming that Americans should accept the security risks inherent in providing this backdoor to protected communications. Meanwhile, technology companies defend the use of end-to-end and device encryption as a key protection against cyberthreats. Then, as now, encryption’s advocates have the stronger argument.

This is a piece from late last year but it has resurfaced in light of recent events. It’s also by a man I like, admire, and greatly respect (even if I disagree with him on occasion) and a man who knows more about the topic than any of us ever will – General Michael Hayden, former director of both the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency.