We now have pretty good algorithms to encrypt our online communications. It is true that given sufficient time and computer power, some of those encryption systems can be broken but (at least as I understand it) the de-encryption has to be done separately for each individual case. This inconvenience clearly must be an irritant to those in the NSA who want to be able to more easily scoop up all telecommunication information, despite having probably the most powerful computers in the world and an army of people to do this work. [Read more…]