US Senate approves encrypted chat app Signal for staff use

["Dave Farber" <dave () farber net>]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org>
Date: Wed, May 17, 2017 at 7:06 AM
Subject: US Senate approves encrypted chat app Signal for staff use
To: Infowarrior List <infowarrior () attrition org>
Cc: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>



US Senate approves encrypted chat app Signal for staff use

https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/17/us-senate-approves-signal-for-staff-use/

The United States Senate has been taking cybersecurity more seriously than
ever before, thanks to the DNC leaks and various government cyberattacks.
Senate Sergeant at Arms Frank J. Larkin and his team have recently finished
encrypting all Senators' websites, and it turns out he has also approved
Signal for official use by Senate staff members. Sen. Ron Wyden, a privacy
and encryption advocate, has revealed that Larkin's office has given one of
the most secure messaging apps out there its seal of approval in a letter
thanking the Sergeant at Arms for his efforts. While the letter was sent on
May 9th, ZDNet says staff members were first allowed to use the app for
official business back in March.

That the current administration would approve Signal for official use came
as somewhat of a surprise. Back in February, House Republicans Darin LaHood
and Lamar Smith demanded an investigation into the EPA's use of secure
messaging apps to secretly express their dissatisfaction with President
Trump's policies. They said encrypted conversations can "run afoul" of the
government's record-keeping rules. Nevertheless, Signal's approval isn't
really groundbreaking. The National Archives and Records Administration
told ZDNet that Senate staff members are exempt from those rules, so long
as they don't use encrypted apps for anything considered "historically
valuable."



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