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# Covert Contact 3: Crypto Wars: Winners, Losers, and the Case for Compromise
- URL: https://johnwlittle.com/crypto-wars-winners-losers-and-the-case-for-compromise/
- Published: 2014-10-21T20:50:18.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-17T17:59:29.000Z
- Description: In episode 3 of the Covert Contact podcast I’m focusing on a single critical topic – the struggle between privacy advocates and governments over cryptography. This is a sensitive topic and there are a lot of extreme positions on the matter.
- Author: John Little
- Tags: Covert Contact, Podcast, Technology, Security

In episode 3 of the [Covert Contact podcast](https://blogsofwar.com/tag/podcast/?ref=johnwlittle.com) I’m focusing on a single critical topic – the struggle between privacy advocates and governments over [cryptography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptography?ref=johnwlittle.com). This is a sensitive topic and there are a lot of extreme positions on the matter. I attempt to take a balanced look at both sides of the issue, offer my thoughts about who might win the war, and I explore what the eventual outcome might mean for intelligence professionals. However, I also argue that if either side “wins” the war without understanding and accommodating the positions of the other, we all stand to lose.