Encryption > Resources
Encryption Resources
Encryption is a crucial feature of a safe and trustworthy Internet. Encryption keeps personal information safe and is also critical to national security, protecting society from terrorists, criminals, and hostile governments.
But encryption is under threat. Some people want to introduce flaws into encryption systems and this makes encryption less safe for everyone. See how we’re promoting and defending encryption around the world and find out how you can stand up for encryption in our resources section.
The Internet Society is part of the Global Encryption Coalition.
Find out how you can get involved.
Factsheets
4 May 2023
Encrypted DNS Factsheet
28 September 2020
Fact Sheet: Quantum Physics and Computing
2 June 2020
Fact Sheet: Intermediaries and Encryption
29 May 2020
Fact Sheet: Government Hacking
24 March 2020
Fact Sheet: Machine-in-the-Middle Attacks
24 March 2020
Fact Sheet: Ghost Proposals
24 March 2020
Fact Sheet: Client-Side Scanning
1 November 2019
Encryption: Essential for the LGBTQ+ Community
9 June 2016
Policy Brief: Encryption
Info Guides
21 September 2020
Info Guide: For Youth by Youth: 3 Ways to ACT
21 September 2020
Virtual Schooling
15 April 2020
Working From Home
Reports
27 November 2020
Traceability and Cybersecurity
Webcasts and Events
Archive of past encryption-related events.
11 June 2019
RightsCon Tunis 2019
20 August 2018
Experts Session on Encryption
26 October 2017
Chatham House Roundtable: Encryption and Lawful Access
Open Letters, Statements, and Submissions
Open letters, statements, and submissions that the Internet Society has authored or contributed to.
Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill: Written Evidence — Internet Society, Internet Society UK Chapter, Access Now, 7 March 2024
Global Encryption Day Statement, 21 October 2021
Open Letter to Members of UK Parliament: End-to-End Encryption Keeps Us Safe – Global Encryption Coalition, 15 June 2021
CDT, GPD and Internet Society Reject Time-Worn Argument for Encryption Backdoors – Global Encryption Coalition, 30 October 2020
Open Letter Against Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act – Global Encryption Coalition, 7 July 2020
Open Letter Opposing EARN IT bill – Global Encryption Coalition, 6 March 2020
Open Letter: Facebook’s End-to-End Encryption Plans, 4 October 2019
In the Press
Articles written by Internet Society staff.
- From LGBT+ People to Journalists, Strong Encryption is Crucial for Making the Internet Safer for Everyone – Thomson Reuters Foundation News, 17 November 2021
- Encryption Protects the Marginalised – and It’s Under Threat – Computer Weekly, 14 October 2021
- If You See Something, Say Something – maskmatters.org, September 2021 (originally published in subscription-only publication)
- I Confess I’ve Got Things to Hide – EurActiv, 19 August 2021
- The Role of Encryption in Protecting LGBTQ+ Community Members – Dark Reading, 28 June 2021
- The Online Safety Bill Puts the Security of All Citizens and Communities at Risk – The House, 15 June 2021
- WhatsApp Complying with Traceability Will Create Technical Vulnerabilities that Can be Exploited – DataQuest India, 3 June 2021
- The New IT Rules would undermine end-to-end encryption – CIOL, 2 June 2021
- What Public Servants Need to Know About Securing their Communications – Apolitical, 6 May 2021
- The False Promise of Lawful Access to Private Data – Wired, 16 May 2019
- Laisser les Etats décrypter et filtrer Internet peut créer un préjudice pour les citoyens et l’économie (Allowing States to Decipher and Filter the Internet Can Harm Citizens and the Economy) – Le Monde, 16 May 2019
Blog Posts
Our latest blog posts on encryption.
Encryption: The Digital PPE We All Need
Now Is Not the Time to Put Everyone’s Security on the Line
Kids Need Encryption Too
Disinformation: The Invisible Sword Dividing Society
Encryption Helps America Work Safely – And That Goes for Congress, Too
Technical Community Resources
Technical community initiatives that the Internet Society has contributed to or supported.
- Securing Journalism: The importance of encryption in protecting media freedom, 7 June 2023
- Let’s Encrypt: The Internet Society supports the Let’s Encrypt Initiative, which provides free certificates to websites for Transport Layer Security (TLS) and automates the process, making it easier and cheaper for websites to use TLS.
- IAB Statement: Avoiding Unintended Harm to Internet Infrastructure, 4 September 2019
- W3C: Securing the Web, 22 January 2015
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Technical Report: Keys Under Doormats: Mandating insecurity by requiring government access to all data and communications, 6 July 2015
- IETF 2528: Pervasive Monitoring Is an Attack, May 2014
- IAB Statement on Internet Confidentiality, 14 November 2014
Community Highlights
Activities and initiatives on encryption from our chapters, special interest groups (SIGs) and members around the world.
Brazilian Code of Criminal Procedure reform must not undermine encryption
28 June 2022: Four Internet Society chapters sign Global Encryption Coalition open letter urging Brazilian Code of Criminal Procedure reform not to undermine encryption
Open Letter to the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union on the Freedom of Use of Encryption
14 April 2021: Signed by 12 European chapters of the Internet Society
Don’t Poke Holes in Our Digital Security Shield
13 April 2021: Lennart Schulze urged people to tell the EU that their narrative that ‘encryption harms kids’ isn’t correct. Encryption is foundational to security – and is key to keeping children and youth safe online.
Encryption in the News
Media coverage on encryption.
ITEdgeNews
Strengthening the Internet
23 October 2022
Tech players, civil society groups want governments to protect encryption
ITEdgeNewsTECHNOLOGY MIRROR
Strengthening the Internet
19 October 2022
WhatsApp Warns Governments Weakening Encryption Features Will Backfire on Safety Issues
TECHNOLOGY MIRRORMEDIANAMA
Strengthening the Internet
28 September 2022