US export controls on encryption are damaging the US information technology industry and should be relaxed as quickly as possible. This is one of the major findings of a two-year study carried out for Congress by the National Research Council. The report, entitled Cryptography’s Role In Securing the Information Society or Crisis, makes six major recommendations, the broad thrust of which is that the US government needs to foster broad use of cryptographic technology, start an open debate and bring policy in line with market realities and public opinion. The first debate on the report was to take place on June 12 when the Congressional Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on Science, Space & Technology began a series of public hearings. The subcommittee is chaired by Senator Conrad Burns, principal co-sponsor of the pro-CODE bill, designed to free up use of encryption technology in the US. More detailed analyses, excerpts of the report and a recommendation overview can be found at the Study Group’s site: www2.nas.edu/cstbweb/28e2.html.
