The 30-year-old internet backdoor law that came back to bite

[douglas9]

News broke this weekend that China-backed hackers have compromised the wiretap systems of several U.S. telecom and internet providers, likely in an effort to gather intelligence on Americans.

The wiretap systems, as mandated under a 30-year-old U.S. federal law, are some of the most sensitive in a telecom or internet provider’s network, typically granting a select few employees nearly unfettered access to information about their customers, including their internet traffic and browsing histories.

But for the technologists who have for years sounded the alarm about the security risks of legally required backdoors, news of the compromises are the “told you so” moment they hoped would never come but knew one day would.

“I think it absolutely was inevitable,” Matt Blaze, a professor at Georgetown Law and expert on secure systems, told TechCrunch regarding the latest compromises of telecom and internet providers.


https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/07/the-30-year-old-internet-backdoor-law-that-came-back-to-bite/

[hlthe2b]

1. The article does a little to stress that some companies have taken steps for more encryption--including that

which they, themselves can't break. But it does little to reassure...

[moniss]

2. The same with much of "computer world". nt

[Midnight Writer]

3. Why bother with a "backdoor" hack when you can just buy detailed customer profiles from corporations?

Data collection on their customers is the lifeblood of many businesses.