The Electronic Privacy Papers: Documents on the Battle for Privacy in the Age of Surveillance

While most books on privacy and security issues in cyberspace simply give accounts of debates on the issues, The Electronic Privacy Papers documents the war--practically salvo by salvo. Authors Schneier and Banisar present the actual government and industry documents, which cover both legal and technical matters. The information includes research reports on the value of wiretaps, influential speeches and articles, and actual legislation that has gone before Congress. Many of the government documents, although legally available to the public through the Freedom of Information Act, were improperly kept secret until several lawsuits eventually forced their release. These "hidden" papers exhibit the FBI's push for government access to all electronic communications, report on how increased government access could also increase the opportunities for computer crime, and record the conflict between those who favor private encryption technology and those who'd make illegal encryption systems that don't allow government agencies access to decryption keys. Legislation and Supreme Court decisions on these disputes are also presented. This book will give you a clear understanding of both sides of the debate and will provide insight into the strategies that both government and privacy advocates use in attempt to achieve their desired result.