U.K. Creates Closer Cyber Security Ties in Washington

The Prime Minister is lobbying President Obama this week

• By Matt Holden
• Jan 16, 2015

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron is in Washington DC this week, where he is lobbying the U.S. President on the need for passing through the strong encryption of internet services, according to a report.

Cameron hopes to circumvent encryption instead of outlawing it by putting pressure on internet companies to co-operate with governments by inserting backdoors into their security systems. Cameron argues that U.K. intelligence agencies must be able to access user data in order to track down potential terrorists.

In an interview with the BBC, Cameron said U.S. and U.K. security agencies would be stepping up their co-operation in this area, and staging joint ‘cyber war games’ — forming so-called “cyber cells”, comprised of FBI and MI5 agents working together and sharing more data about potential online threats.