Pakistan Tries To Ban Encryption 185
An anonymous reader writes "Pakistan has a new Telecoms Law going into effect, which requires widespread monitoring of internet usage. In response, new reports are saying that the country is banning encryption, including VPNs, because it would interfere with the ability of ISPs to monitor internet usage."
Cool! (Score:5, Insightful)
...now I just have to get hold of a few Pakistani bank IP addys, set up some sort of listener, and...
Oh, you thought SSL would still be around after this little law gets into effect?
(obviously I'm kidding, at least about wanting to do any such thing. OTOH, there are quite a few folks who probably wouldn't be kidding at all).
What it comes down to (Score:5, Insightful)
The particulars may vary, but the essence is that you try to forbid people to have secrets from you.
Once you see it in this light, the paradoxical futility becomes clear.
Nice opportunity for Indian Nationalists (Score:2, Insightful)
I hope they make good use of it.
As Pakistan turns into Talibanistan it will become a massive threat to the region.
Re:yeah ok (Score:4, Insightful)
They're interested in content rather than b/w utilisation. I suggest you RTFA...no-matter how preposterous it may sound.
Instead of generic encrypted traffic now users will to resort to stenography. Just embed encrypted traffic in otherwise boring video streams and pictures.
I take it no one does any actual work over the internet in Pakistan?! How about banking, stock trades, online purchases? How ass-backwards is this country?
Zero outsourcing jobs moving to Pakistan (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow, way to make sure your country can never have any outsourcing jobs. No business with a clue would ever set up operations in a country where all traffic has to be open to corporate espionage.
They're going to be in the technological dark ages forever if this persists, vs. following India into the cheap outsourcing market.