The Hardest Problem In Encryption? Usability.


Nelson Mandela giving a lecture.

I have been reading a wonderful account of how The ANC in South Africa developed and used encryption to avoid persecution by the Apartheid regime. The article is a good 15,000 words and will take you some time to read. It is a fascinating account of how an ersatz encryption technology was developed by enthusiastic amateurs using acoustic couplers, DTMF, tape recorders, and early mobile phones. I'm going to ignore the technical aspects - which are wonderful to read - and talk about the human…

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