Skype encryption foils German police

German police have complained that the encryption of VoIP traffic has made tracking criminals very difficult.

Jöerg Ziercke, president of Germany's Federal Police Office, told an annual gathering of security and law enforcement officials that Skype is giving the force more problems that traditional telephone tapping.

"The encryption with Skype telephone software creates grave difficulties for us," he told Reuters.

"We cannot decipher it. That is why we are talking about source telecommunication surveillance, i.e. getting to the source before encryption or after it has been decrypted."

Ziercke added that he does not expect Skype to hand over encryption keys or take any action that would harm it as a business, but that there remains a need for police to examine hard drives and break encryption.

Germany has tough laws on the searching of personal data passed after World War 2.

See also:

Hushmail turns out to be anything but

Police given full access to 'private' emails  16 Nov 2007

Embassy email 'hacker' arrested

Swedish security consultant who exposed flaws has collar felt  16 Nov 2007

UK government guilty of DPA breach

Website farce exposes details of 50,000 applicants  15 Nov 2007

Police accused of 'excessive' data policies

Information Commissioner demands deletion of old records  01 Nov 2007

Microsoft steps up work with police

Dealing with Nigerian 419ers first hand  24 Oct 2007

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