Greenwald: NSA views encryption as evidence of suspicion and will target those who use it [View all]

[Redfairen]

Glenn Greenwald, editor of the newly launched digital publication The Intercept, told attendees at SXSWi that the National Security Agency is wary of anyone who takes steps to protect their online activity from being hacked, such as using encryption tools.

“In (the NSA's) mind, if you want to hide what you’re saying from them, it must mean that what you’re saying is a bad thing,” Greenwald said via a Skype video call. “They view the use of encryption… as evidence that you’re suspicious and can actually target you if you use it.”

.......

During the panel, Greenwald said the NSA is able to target encrypted communications because so few people actually use encryption tools. That makes the people who are actually trying to stay secure stick out like sore thumbs, thus making it much easier for the agency to focus its efforts on hacking the relatively small bits of encrypted data that they intercept.

“I do think individuals have the principal obligation to protect their data,” Greenwald said, likening that responsibility to that of lawyers who protect their clients or journalists who protect their sources. But, he said, the biggest reason to begin using encryption is to make it far more difficult for the government to gain access to your data without going through the proper channels — such as legal warrants, wiretap orders, or subpoenas.

http://venturebeat.com/2014/03/10/nsa-views-encryption-as-evidence-of-suspicion-and-will-target-those-who-use-it-security-journalist-says/