Trump’s CIA Could Be Watching Anyone With Encryption

One of the many appointments a new President must make is the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the country’s premier spy agency.

Last week President-elect Donald Trump announced he’d made his pick for the CIA position - Mike Pompeo. Pompeo isn’t well-known, but he’s a former army officer who served as a lawmaker in Kansas. Neither of those roles gave him any experience in national security or intelligence gathering. The reason he’s been picked, oddly enough, is his steadfast support of mass surveillance.

In an op-ed published by The Wall Street Journal earlier this year, Pompeo claimed that forcing terrorists into encrypted channels is one way to tackle terrorism. He believes that mass surveillance compels terrorists to use complicated encryption services that limit their ability to send and receive data over the internet. It also means Pompeo’s CIA will be keeping a close eye on anyone who uses encryption for whatever reason.

The Congressman equated the encryption with a virtual red flag. This line of thinking is hard to swallow for people who understand the need for encryption to protect private data or oppose any attempt at mass surveillance.

It’s also difficult to argue that all encryption is bad, seeing as how some of the most popular messaging and email services are moving towards encryption. Whatsapp, iMessage, and Signal all have end-to-end encryption which ensures that no third parties can see what’s being transmitted between individuals.

Of course, the Edward Snowden leaks should tell you that mega tech companies have very little defense when the government asks for private data. This undermines the encryption efforts of messaging services provided by major tech companies like Facebook and Apple.

A need for security

In a world where the head of CIA equates national security with mass surveillance and mainstream tech companies have to hand over data to the Trump administration on request, business owners and innovators have a right to be worried. Corporate data, intellectual property, and private negotiations are all up for grabs in the United States as the new government moves ahead with this paranoid and misguided policy.

The new government policy essentially throws the baby out with the bathwater.

American businesses are in desperate need of better security, which is why many have turned to foreign shores for better protection. Switzerland, for example, is committed to individual privacy. Services based in the country are able to provide genuine protection against online attacks. Messages, contacts, emails, and notes saved on our Secure Swiss Data platform are thoroughly encrypted and safely stored in Swiss data centers. This means you alone can access your company’s most vital data.

Sophisticated encryption, a favorable jurisdiction, and well-trained service staff help us offer secure online platform and protect your personal and corporate email communications.