Mozilla wants to educate us all on encryption
Terrorists use encryption. They also breathe air, drive cars, and drink water. What do I mean by saying this? Well, just because a bad person uses something, doesn't make the thing they use evil. In fact, encryption is not evil at all -- it is a tool to protect the privacy and communications of all people.
Sadly, not everybody understands encryption. There is nothing wrong with being ignorant on a subject -- not everyone can be knowledgeable about everything. With that said, some politicians and other decision-makers could enact policy about encryption due to knee-jerk reactions to things they don't understand. Luckily, Mozilla has a new initiative aimed at educating people as to what encryption actually is.
"In the coming weeks, Mozilla will release videos, blogs and activities designed to raise awareness about encryption. You can watch our first video today -- it shows why controlling our personal information is so key. More importantly, you can use this video to start a conversation with friends and family to get them thinking more about privacy and security online", says Mark Surman, Executive Director, Mozilla.
Surman further says, "if we can educate millions of Internet users about the basics of encryption and its connection to our everyday lives, we'll be in a good position to ask people to stand up when the time comes. We believe that time is coming soon in many countries around the world. You can pitch in simply by watching, sharing and having conversations about the videos we’ll post over the coming weeks".
You can see the first video below. I rather like that it lays out the benefits of encryption without going into boring in-depth details. In other words, a person does not initially need to know how encryption works, only that it secures their information and protects their privacy. With that said, I hope future videos explain what encryption is beyond just benefits -- even if the narrative is fairly simplistic.
Do you support Mozilla's education efforts? Read more about it here, and tell me in the comments.
Photo credit: Maksim Kabakou / Shutterstock