The underlying philosophical question is whether public service agencies should encrypt their transmissions. Arguments over the years keep pointing to "national security" or "undercover operations". Here in NYC we are now observing local dispatch frequencies being converted to encrypted communications. To put it bluntly, if government does not trust the citizens, should citizens trust the government?
Hi Charles--- Long time since we chatted. In response to your post about the local dispatch frequencies, It has to be a
massive undertaking in New York City to make sure every single base, mobile and portable unit is correctly "keyed" into the system. One glitch could put the officers and civilians lives at stake. I can understand encryption currently for limited tactical operations, where the command unit would also have access to the analog side of the system.
But it's hard for me to imagine knowing (as I imagine you do) how easily the bureaucracy can screw things up, and I would be surprised if they are actually able to implement a full system here in New York City. And notwithstanding the gripes from the major and minor press services, other city agencies, and various politicos. It could very well be a situation where the ends do not justify the means. You give up more than you get in return.
To the OP's original thought, given the amount of equipment currently available to monitor the bands, you always have to wonder, with a "container" so big, it requires a lot of vigilance to look for even the tiniest of leaks.
The arguments will continue to resonate over those "national security" or "undercover operations" concerns. As to member "chance" comment above, "It is expected that at some point in the future the generally accepted encryption algorithms of today will be easily cracked. Perhaps quantum computing or some other yet to be discovered technology. So perhaps if you were to capture the radio traffic of some major event today, in 50 years from now you might be able to decrypt it."
To which I say, the way technology is moving, I think "5 years" is a more reasonable. Especially if all radios in the system would have to be "the same" to allow for intercommunication.
To member "GlobalNorth", if Albert Einstein were with us today, he would probably look at the algorithms, shake his head, and then say "This is all too simple, you guys have fun; I'm going to the beach."
Nevertheless. let the show begin.