As you would imagine, encryption was a major buzzword at RSA 2016 in San Francisco. The battle between Apple and the FBI is being talked about around the world, and it set the tone for some major debates at the annual conference.
We've all heard the details by now. The FBI wants access to the San Bernardino shooter's work iPhone, but Apple believes the move will open the door to major security and privacy concerns. U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch believes that we must find common ground.
"The growth of technology frankly is the growth of this country, and I would do nothing to stop that. But they can co-exist, and they do co-exist all the time," Lynch said.
During an interview at RSA, Lynch hammered down on the fact that most technology companies in the United States fully cooperate with the government. She also pointed out that Apple is usually on board.
"Up until recently Apple maintained the ability to provide information to the government without any loss of safety or security of data they stored on their devices," Lynch stated.
She went on to compare the case to a box of documents, locked in a house that could be used for evidence. She said that it would be the same scenario if a court ordered a company to help in unlocking the door in order to retrieve the evidence. She says this isn't a question of opinion, but a United States law.
"For me the middle ground is to devolve to what the law requires. Part of the social compact that we've all agreed to is that we're going to work under this framework of laws," Lynch said.
When faced with questions over privacy and security, Lynch acknowledged that the argument is valid, and suggested that boundaries should be set.
"Our ability to go into devices has to be limited, has to be focused, has to be specific to what we need to find."
Lynch also voiced her support for encryption.
"I think encryption does make us safer. I support encryption, and have been someone who's very very focused on that."
Lynch said that the courts are simply asking Apple to do what it has for years. Wherever you stand on the matter, this is a debate that will not be going away anytime soon.