House Democrats Are Using End-To-End Encryption To Avoid Future Hacks – ABC2 News

After being hit with a cyberattack in 2016, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee wants to be hack-proof. To do that, it's turning to a new messenger with end-to-end encryption.

Back in June, theDCCC migrated toencrypted messaging service Wickr, which is now the primary method of communication in the office. It's the first political committee to make the shift to end-to-end encryption.

Outside of the office, Wickr does not replace email.

End-to-end encryption services work by usingcryptographic keysthat can only be decoded and deciphered by message recipients.Wickr works byencrypting not just the messages, but also the keys themselves. Thisadded layer of encryptionkeeps communication as secure as possible.

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Some sayend-to-end encryption could help secure future political campaigns, but other offices and political figures aren't taking so kindly to the idea.

Back in July, theDCCC sent a letterto the National Republican Congressional Committee about cybersecurity. The letter called for combined non-partisan efforts to protect against future attacks. But Steve Stivers, chair of the NRCC, dismissed it as a"political stunt."

Attacking encryption has become a bipartisan effort. Last spring, Republican Sen. Richard Burr and Democratic Sen. DianneFeinstein introducedlegislation thatorders tech companiesto decrypt messages sent by terrorist groups and criminals.

The legislation was written in response toApple's refusalto help the FBI hack the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters. But months later,Reuters reportedFeinstein and Burr's bill to be dead.

Governments outside of the U.S., however, have called for similar anti-encryption efforts. In response to the attacks on London Bridge, the U.K. parliament passed the "Snooper's Bill," which gives law enforcement authorities unprecedented access to web-browsing histories and data.

Earlier in July, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull alsosupported legislationthat would obligate internet companies like Facebook to comply with law enforcement.

In regards to fears that the policy wouldn't be technically feasible, Turnbull said: "The laws of mathematics are very commendable, but the only laws that apply in Australia is the law of Australia."

One of the mainissues regarding decryption or creating a "back door" for government and law enforcement officials is that it opens the door for any hacker to intercept communications.

In other words, it would make end-to-end encryption functionally useless.

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House Democrats Are Using End-To-End Encryption To Avoid Future Hacks - ABC2 News