Vint Cerf warns about plans for technology ‘back doors’

One of the godfathers of the Internet has harsh words for federal efforts to insert “back doors” in digital security systems. “If you have a back door, somebody will find it, and that somebody may be a bad guy or bad guys, and they will intentionally abuse their access,” Vint Cerf, one of the co-founders of the Internet, said during remarks at the National Press Club. “Creating this kind of technology is super-, super-risky,” he added. “I don’t think that that’s the right answer.”

The statement from one of the most respected Internet pioneers adds to a chorus of opposition to the Obama Administration’s efforts to force companies like Google and Apple to create openings in their technological defenses so the FBI and other government agencies are able to get access to people’s information. Law enforcement officials worry that Silicon Valley’s increasing desire to adopt encryption technology -- which has sped up in the wake of disclosures from former government contractor Edward Snowden -- is putting data beyond the reach of police officers who have obtained a warrant.