Why Aren’t You Encrypted?

It certainly isn’t the fact that you don’t know about encryption. The recent news headlines have been plastered with the Crypto War between US law enforcement and security developers. The endless stories of Apple vs. FBI dominated headlines for weeks. The US government often displays an organizational dual personality on encryption; with law enforcement blasting it as evil every time a terror attack hits the headlines and security groups pressing for mandatory encryption to protect individual and national security.

It’s not like there is no reason or enough evidence that you should be encrypted. The recent news broadcast by CBS 60 Minutes seems like it should have made people to dash and seek out secure communications. The broadcast clearly demonstrated that a skilled hacker, armed with nothing but your cell phone number, could monitor your calls and text messages with ease.

Security raises its head even when one strays off the national beat and onto local news. For example, a story recently covered the use of “Stingray” cell phone monitoring systems by local police. In this case, Sheriff Gualtieri of the Florida Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department gave a telling quote to Tampa WTSP Channel 10 local news in defense of Stingray.

The report noted Sheriff Gualtieri was “quick to remind you that anyone who has a cell phone is already making their information available to anyone who has the right software to get it.”

How clear a warning can that not be?

It’s also not as if the products are not available at very low cost. For less than the price of a skin for your cell phone you can download and install powerful encrypted text messaging software. If you have more than one cell phone, you can obtain the CD of the same software and install it on all your devices for less than the price of a cell phone cover or blue tooth earpiece. So software that will effectively give you secure communications for the life of your phone costs less than the cup holder in your car but you still have not installed it.

So why aren’t you encrypted?

Frankly, the answer is both simple and cruel. I think it’s because of the “Tombstone Effect”. The FAA has long been called the “Tombstone” agency in that it was never known to act to prevent aircraft crashes until enough people had died. The same now applies to cell phone security. Think of the Tombstone Effect as a movie title — “He Died with a Cell Phone in His Hands”.

In short, you don’t encrypt because not enough people have died due to bad cell phone security.

Things will not change until enough ex-girlfriends are killed by stalkers who used hacking technology to monitor, corner and destroy their victims. No government agency will be out in front of cell phone security until enough bodies are piled up by criminals who use information from cell phone hacking to do their evil deeds.

You as an individual will not seek secure communications until you find out the next door neighbors were murdered because their cell phone told a violent felon when and where to strike. Your company will not seek encrypted communications until enough employees file suits for putting their lives on the line without proper security.

Lawyers, doctors, real estate agents, bankers and stock brokers may not start encrypting until they lose money or are in court because a cell phone call leaked or a text message was intercepted by the wrong person. They will, however, encrypt if enough clients die because of poor security.

I know this is a very cynical point of view but it appears to be the only viable conclusion. People don’t react to low prices, logical warnings of danger or even neat features. Sure some will go for it because it’s new and cool but most will plod on with little care… until death calls your cell phone.

One if by land… Two if by sea.

CHARLES R. SMITH

CEO FOUNDER OF SOFTWAR INC.