Defense secretary favors strong encryption, not 'back doors'

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Declaring that strong encryption is essential to the nation's security, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a tech industry audience Wednesday that he's "not a believer in back doors," or encryption programs that leave openings for outsiders to read coded files.

[...] his statement shows the complexity of the encryption debate at a time when the nation's law enforcement establishment is feuding with tech companies over the use of encryption in consumer products.

While he did not elaborate, many tech experts say building a key or "back door" into encryption software, enabling third parties to unlock an encrypted file, creates a vulnerability that can be exploited by others.

Taking an idea used by tech firms, the department this week launched a "Hack the Pentagon" program in which outside programmers are offered bounties for finding vulnerabilities in the department's networks or software.