Digital transition of data is in the form of discrete signals in a series of 1's and 0's and measured in bytes. The digital transmission has high bandwidth and can support high-speed data transfer, power efficiency, and better security of the information because it allows encryption of the data.
What are encrypted radio signals?
Encrypted radio signals are signals converted from plain text to cipher text. It is a security measure that allows only authorized people (with password) to access it. An encoder codes the messages at the source into digital form using complex’s formula of 1’s and 0’s. At the end point/receiving end, a decoder decodes the message back to voice, and the user has to use particular passwords to listen to the information. Therefore, not everyone can access the data as is the case with the unencrypted radio signal.
Is it legal to monitor encrypted channels on a scanner?
It is illegal for the public to listen to scrambled/encrypted data. When the data channels are encrypted, it means that the data is sensitive and tapping it violates the rights of the users or the target population or may lead to security breaches that may jeopardize the community's safety. It also illegal for the police to listen to encrypted mobile communications.
Why did Springfield Police move to encrypted transmissions?
According to Tucker, the previous (analog) connections allowed the public to follow police conversations while responding to crimes using easy to use hand-held gadgets. The criminals used these devices to escape the cops because they could listen to the plan, correspondents and avoid the traps the police would set to get them. By extension, it also made the police vulnerable in that the offenders could ambush them or lure them into a trap. Encryption would remove most of the loopholes that citizens use to listen to the police.
The security keys are the security of the data. In the event of the password lose to the encrypted messages, the person effectively loses the data. Besides, it is an exceptionally expensive affair. The creation of the keys and the whole process of coding and decoding the data attracts extra budget for the gadgets, and personnel to manage the security system. It becomes complicated in the case of a large workforce where the need to track the people with the security keys is required. Further, if there is a security breach, the officers would have a false sense of security that in most cases would be a disaster. For instance, the police might be sharing very sensitive data without knowing that outsiders are tapping it.
What legal challenges can be expected to encryption?
Mobile communication uses encrypted data, and most of the social sites have since encrypted their data. It follows that the state or the police cannot access without going through a lengthy court process to obtain the information. Some feel that this is a drawback in fighting terrorism.
Give 3 reasons why you support or don’t agree with encryption.
First, I believe that encryption of data is by security forces, emergency institutions, or in personal use is a necessary thing. Fundamentally, every person has rights to privacy and, therefore, removing encryption in mobile communications would breach such rights and render everyone vulnerable. For example, in case there were no encryptions, anyone can tap mobile conversation of people, and if one had bad intentions, it gives them leverage over their targets. Secondly, it improves the security of the police by ensuring that they are not rendered susceptible to harm when criminals tap their conversations. Third, digital transmission has less interference.
Works cited
TUCKER, ERIC. "Police Departments Look to Tune out Public by Encrypting Radio Communications." Masslive.com. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. <http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/police_departments_increasingl.html >.
