I am pleased to be here today to discuss the Administration's encryption policy and how it relates to the President's initiative on critical infrastructure protection. First, a caveat.
Encryption is only one piece of the larger critical infrastructure pie.
Clearly, strong encryption helps protect electronic infrastructures. However, as important as encryption is for this purpose, we would not be wise to allow the debate over encryption policy to hinder our efforts in the larger critical infrastructure area. For this reason, we are developing policies in these two areas along separate tracks. By the time I finish my remarks, I hope you will agree with me that this is the best course of action. Encryption is a critical issue for our country, and what we do in this area will have a profound impact on the safety and well-being of Americans everywhere.