Secret US cybersecurity report: encryption vital to protect private data

A secret US cybersecurity report warned that government and private computers were being left vulnerable to online attacks from Russia, China and criminal gangs because encryption technologies were not being implemented fast enough. The document from the US National Intelligence Council, which reports directly to the US director of national intelligence, made clear that encryption was the “best defence” for computer users to protect private data. The advice, in a newly uncovered five-year forecast written in 2009, contrasts with the pledge made by UK Prime Minister David Cameron to crack down on encryption use by technology companies.