"Will the Blind Be Leading the Blind", the Clipper Chip Controversy and Its Relevance to Informational Dominance of the Battlefield

During the 20th Century the bulk of cryptography research and use was controlled by the military. On April 16, 1993 the Clinton administration announced that the NSA had secretly developed a stronger algorithm to be integrated into a chip called Clipper. The catch, however, was that the keys for the chip would remain in the hands of the U.S. government. This paper will focus on U.S. assumptions that we can control the flow of these technologies. It will examine the debate around the Clipper chip and its key escrow requirements. By reviewing risk assessment, manageability and costs for this structure, one can readily view the scope and complexity of this particular government position. The speed of technological change, driven by global market forces, is bypassing our abilities to control the development of encryption products. This change will challenge our basic concepts of informational dominance of the battlefield as envisioned in Department of Defenses Revolution in Military Affairs RMA paradigm. Global demand for encryption devices is growing quickly. The United States is being faced with a choice adapt to the market imperatives, which must include revising our RMA viewpoints, or be left behind and face the inevitable consequences both economically and militarily.