Techies vs. NSA: Encryption arms race escalates

Techies vs. NSA: Encryption arms race escalates

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Encrypted email, secure instant messaging and other privacy services are booming in the wake of the National Security Agency’s recently revealed surveillance programs. But the flood of new computer security services is of variable quality, and much of it, experts say, can bog down computers and isn’t likely to keep out spies. In the end, the new geek wars – between tech industry programmers on the one side and government spooks, fraudsters and hacktivists on the other – may leave people’s PCs and businesses’ computer systems encrypted to the teeth but no better protected from hordes of savvy code crackers.