http://australianit.news.com.au/common/print/0,7208,8905801%5E27317%5E%5Enbv%5E15306%2D15319,00.html
> Heading into an era of the PC police > Karen Dearne > MARCH 09, 2004 > INDIVIDUAL computer users may lose control over their PCs as > copyright owners enforce tough digital rights management regimes, Sun > Microsystems chief security officer Whit Diffie has warned. > "There's going to be a tremendous battle between Hollywood and the > RIAA and individual users who are now threatened with sometime in the > future only being able to buy computers that have built-in machinery for > controlling their use," Dr Diffie said. > > "I think we're heading into an era of great controversy over so-called > DRM, and the notion that people who produce IP not only have a right to > be compensated for what they've done, but have a right to be given > actual control over how people use it. > > "You will no longer have a PC that does what you tell it to do." > > Dr Diffie said the problem for consumers was that DRM technology "is in > fact wonderful, and makes a tremendous contribution in a lot of areas > where there is very little argument about its legitimacy". > > The basic notion was that a computer, or network device, can "attest" to > its own configuration. > > "If you think about an enterprise having a fleet of trucks, you'd have a > specification and from time to time you'd announce that you wanted to > buy some more trucks, and that they should meet these standards, be > equipped with these tools," he said. > > "Well, we're moving into an era where networks are more and more > dynamically formed. Consequently being able to say, you can play in this > network if you're in this configuration, you run this operating system and > these supporting programs and you can prove that — that's going > to lead to a tremendous fluidity of secure business communications. On > the other hand, whether it is appropriate to force the same things on > people who are forming private networks is not at all clear." > > Cryptography Research's chief scientist Paul Kocher said music and > movie piracy was escalating, largely because the "Hollywood studios > and music companies don't have control of the technology that > manipulates their IP." > > "This fact makes it very difficult for them to actually solve the problem," > Mr Kocher said. > > "The companies that actually take the risk in developing the content > aren't the ones that control its distribution. > > "I predict we're going to see increasingly severe security problems > where the economics don't work in the business model, while we'll > continue to see good progress in ones where they do. > > "Which says good things about corporate network security, and very > troubling things about privacy." > > Mr Kocher said privacy was a particularly difficult issue for consumers, > because corporations and law enforcement "don't necessarily have the > same incentive to protect privacy". > > "Ultimately, the way that this seems to get resolved in other industries > where you have these market imbalances is through government > regulation," he said. > > "Government regulation is something that I'm terrified of, but I don't see > any other solution for our industry." > > Meanwhile, Dr Diffie said the US FBI was trying to extend its > law-enforcement powers over communications systems to include VoIP. > > "There appears to be no limits over the impact that could have on the > workings of the internet, of networks of all kinds," he said. > > "Say, if you don't build-in surveillance machinery up-front, you won't be > able to field those networks. > > "So, I think we're headed into an era of major political battles about > security technology and who can have it, and whether it's going to be the > individual who benefits from it or larger elements of society." > > Karen Dearne attended the RSA Conference 2004 in San Francisco as > a guest of RSA Security Australia.
