USACM

Encryption and Computer Security

USACM Files 

• ACM Fellow Lance Hoffman's testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space on legisltaive efforts to enhance information security. April 24, 2002

• USACM letter sent to Congressional leaders regarding concern with Terrorism Bill, sent prior to bill becoming law. October 19, 2001

• USACM Co-chair Eugene Spafford's testimony to the House Committee on Science regarding the role of university research in enhancing the security of our Nation's information infrastructure. October 2001

• USACM on October 2, 2001 submits memos to the Congressional Internet Caucus and the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on:
  • Recommendations on securing the US Computing Infrastructure
  • Government controls on encryption

• Letter to Senator Judd Gregg regarding his proposal to revive government controls on encryption. The proposal calls for a ban on all non-key-escrow systems. Read the press release here. October 2, 2001

• Congress Considers Critical Infrastructure Protection Bill. The Senate is considering passage of the Internet Integrity and Critical Infrastructure Proection Act of 2000, S. 2448, which could criminalize the use of security tools designed to test system operability. USACM signed a letter to Senators Charles Schumer and Orrin Hatch advocating more positive efforts to enhance the robustness of the national and international infrastructure. June 2000
  
  
• USACM joined 14 other groups and three distinguished computer security experts and cryptographers to sign a brief on encryption submitted to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the Bernstein v. State Department case. The case challenges the constitutionality of export controls of encryption. December 8, 1997
  
  
• Letter of leading Scientific Societies opposing proposed amendments to HR 695 that would restrict encryption technology, September 24, 1997. Press release.
  
  
• USACM press release on California state resolution calling for relaxation of export controls on cryptography, September 8, 1997.
  
  
• USACM comments on Digital Signatures to National Institute of Standards and Technology, July 16, 1997.
  
  
• IEEE USA and USACM letter to Senator McCain on S. 909, the Secure Public Networks Act, July 3, 1997.
  
  
• USACM's comments on Interim Regulations on Cryptography, February 12, 1997.
  
  
• USACM friend of the court brief in the Karn v. US State Department case arguing that export controls on cryptography are unconstitutional.
  
  
• Testimony of USACM Chair Barbara Simons before US Senate Commerce Committee on cryptography exports, June 26, 1996.
  
  
• USACM and IEEE/USA letter on export controls of encryption, April 1996.
  
  
• Codes, Keys, and Conflicts: Issues in U.S. Crypto Policy. A report of a special panel of USACM. June 1994.
  
  
• USACM Statement on the Escrowed Encryption Standard. June 1994.