back to article 'Save the teachers!' 184 cryptologists send Oz Govt cleartext petition

One hundred and eighty-four angry cryptologists have signed a letter appealing for Australia's Department of Defence to grant researchers and teachers specific exemption to the country's amended laws that crack-down on crypto and exploit trading. The International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR) letter is in …

  1. dan1980

    "The group says unhindered research and education into cryptography serves the Australian public . . ."

    And this is supposed to be a compelling argument?

    It is for me and it should be for politicians too but if anyone still thinks this is what they care about, then that is some impressive naivety.

  2. Yes Me Silver badge

    compelling argument?

    It becomes compelling if you add "...and without enough well-trained cryptographers they will throw us out of Five Eyes." After all, this whole law is about toadying up to the NSA.

    1. dan1980

      Re: compelling argument?

      @Yes me.

      Really? No, the US don't really want partners in that way. They want to co-opt other countries to:

      1. - Spy on US citizens for them to get around what few, weak protections they still have.

      2. - Spy on other nations based on geographic location.

      They want everyone else to be an arm of the NSA, helping them to extend their scope. I don't think they really want them to have technological capabilities rivaling that of themselves but instead to be provided with the tools and systems at their (the NSA's) discretion in order to further the NSA's goals.

      That's speculation, of course, but if Australia is developing independent capabilities that the NSA does not already have then surely they would consider that dangerous.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: compelling argument?

      'Cos Australians are such gobshites that we can't train the dumb c*&#s after they have finished uni...

      I am sure that ASD is able to organise themselves sufficiently to train their own.

  3. veti Silver badge

    Language of mass obfuscation

    It's okay to publish crypto software, "except when the software applies to weapons of mass destruction"... huh?

    Seems to me that if you can even tell what the heck crypto software is being used for, it's prolly not very good software...

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    First they came for the wind and solar farms

    Then... [REDACTED]

    * It's true: wind and solar is now the enemy in Australia. According to our crack-pot government.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: First they came for the wind and solar farms

      Unlike the other mob, that will screw you backwards in pay and conditions, so they can get a nice backhander, that they then use to inflate their membership numbers, giving them more power in caucusing.

      The local Subway chains 'Enterprise Bargians' are truely horrific! "flexible part time" means no penalty rates. Minimum shifts 2 hours. I forget the rates, but it was a pittance. Ran it by our accountants and they couldn't come up with anything more exploitative.

      Actually we were told it would have failed workchoices fairness tests.

      Worse still, is it inplace for another 4 years! A Labor abomnation after Work Choices!

      1. Woza

        Re: First they came for the wind and solar farms

        You shouldn't excuse one bunch of idiots by pointing out what a different bunch of idiots did. Politics (like life) is not a zero-sum game.

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