Social aspects of telecommunications security policy

Institutional practices affecting access (legal and illegal) to telecommunications, especially privacy of message content and secrecy of communication, are identified as critical to telecommunications security. Methods of increasing security in these areas, protecting the secrecy of the message´s content and the fact that a communication was made, are examined. The Data Encryption Standard and public-key cryptography, which accomplish the first of these objectives, are described. Ways of accomplishing the second objective are also considered. The societal consequences of widely available cryptography are examined. The impact of the contradictory goals pursued by telecommunications systems, i.e. enhancing communications and information exchange and enhancing confidentiality and security, is discussed.<>