Decoding BlackBerry: Encryption limit may hit 256 Bits

NEW DELHI: The government is planning to increase the permitted level of encryption for electronic data from 40 to 256 bits. This will allow decoding of electronic mails sent through BlackBerry. The matter is presently being examined by the National Security Advisor (NSA).

The move comes after Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of BlackBerry, expressed their inability to provide a solution to the government for decoding encrypted data, claiming that it itself couldn’t decode the mails sent through its system. RIM has, however, said that they would come with some solution by the end of this month.

“The government would involve third-party agents to crack the encryption code if RIM does not come out with a solution. It is, however, not possible for any third party to bring down the level of encrypted data at the prescribed level. To avoid technical ambiguity, the government may raise the prescribed limit for data encryption to 256 bits,” an official source said, adding that the matter has been referred to the NSA for its comments.

A mail sent in this regard to communication minister A Raja and telecom secretary Siddharth Behura went unanswered. Country’s security agencies have earlier complained that messages transmitted through BlackBerry devices posed a risk as they couldn’t be traced.