A new report by the EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security looks into how to uphold citizens’ privacy while enabling criminal investigation and prosecution
Encryption represents an important means of securing private communications. However, at the same time, it also enables threat actors to manage their malicious activities below the radar of law enforcement. Understanding the needs and challenges of stakeholders in the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) community is the foundation of adopting the necessary measures to keep Europe safe, while safeguarding fundamental rights.
Today, the EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security publishes its first report on encryption, with contributions from Europol, Eurojust, eu-LISA, the EU Counterterrorism Coordinator as well as the European Commission’s Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) and Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME). The report highlights that endorsing the benefits of encryption for privacy while acknowledging the challenges that this technology poses to combat serious organised crime and terrorism is of utmost importance. The objective is to advance a constructive discussion on encryption and to identify a balanced solution to protect individuals and society from malicious actors.
Five key conclusions of the report:
- Introducing legal frameworks for lawful access to data and the use of encrypted communications in judicial proceedings is paramount for achieving the right balance between privacy and security.
- Further research and monitoring on technologies using cryptography, such as telecommunications (5G, 6G networks), biometrics, DNS, the blockchain, and quantum computing, are needed to ensure both lawful access to data and privacy.
- Collaboration with academia and private industry is essential for the creation of new tools to both serve law enforcement investigations without compromising the overall security of communications.
- Artificial intelligence solutions can both help and hinder law enforcement efforts to fight serious and organised crime, requiring a multi-faceted and collaborative approach.
- While quantum computing can significantly improve investigations, it also poses a significant threat to encryption, requiring a swift transition to post-quantum cryptography. Europol’s recent report on quantum computing can be found here.
Read more at Europol.