During a speech at the RSA security conference in San Francisco, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planning to open a satellite office in Silicon Valley. He added that the department would be hiring developers and other tech professionals. “We want to convince some of the talented workforce here in Silicon Valley to come to Washington. The new U.S. Digital Service provides the option for talent to flow and rotate between private industry and our government teams,” he said.
Johnson also appealed to the technology industry to limit its use of encryption. “The current course we are on, towards deeper and deeper encryption, in response to the demands of the marketplace, is one that presents real challenges to those in law enforcement and national security,” he said. “Encryption is making it harder for your government to find criminal activity… We need your help to find the solution.”
