Intel security group’s chief technology officer Steve Grobman said that promulgating legislation on encryption only will not protect data from any cyber attack.
“We have been facing the challenge that devices can no longer protect data and the hackers can protect data at the application level. So there is nothing like the government is coming up with policy or procedures on encryption which will protect data,” he told
Deccan Herald.
“You can legislate on encryption. But since it is really complex mathematics, it is not possible to control. We have to move on and help the enforcement to come up with new ways to protect data,” he said.
Grobman made this comment as the FBI wanted Apple’s help to get more data from the iPhone used by a shooter during the San Bernardino attacks. Technology companies have rallied behind Apple against FBI asking to write software that would lift security features preventing it from cracking the passcode on the phone.
“If you make policies on this, it will further degrade security for the general public. We have hackers who are using ransomware to hack and ask money to access data. They demand more money from the end-client directly,” he said.
Grobman said there are a lot of basic changes with the arrival of technologies like advance computing and cloud computing. “Public and private cloud can give scope for hackers to attacking sensitive data. In SaaS business model too, companies are delegating their work to others and so there is some scope for attack. In both cases, encryption can protect data to minium level,” he said.
Since Intel is in the hardware and software space, he said there is a need for ecosystem to be built across the world to bring down cyber attacks.