A perfectly good and entirely feasable idea via Bruce Schneier:

There are a variety of encryption technologies that allow you to analyze data without knowing details of the data:

I am reminded of the after-action meeting held after a major cyber threat event about, oh, eight years ago. In one room sat the working-level experts who dealt with the case; nearly all agencies, a wide variety of disciplines. Out of the meeting came a couple dozen solutions to nearly all the problems that continue to plague both public and private security pros. The tech solutions used by places like NSA (not entirely unlike those mentioned in the article) were often cited as ways to deal with issues of privacy . . . good solutions all around.

Why no progress since then? How come you’ve never heard of these solutions?

Why bother publishing an after-action report, which would highlight your amazing shortcomings, when not publishing helps maintain the illusion that your agency is ‘all that’? Publication might prevent your ability to slide into a nice private sector job or maybe a gig in academia. Publication? The saving of billions of dollars and countless man-years of labor? Improved privacy while at the same time allowing for better analysis? No, there will be none of that while some fools are in charge (name withheld to protect those who have no hope of defending themselves).

About the Author

Michael Tanji

Michael Tanji spent nearly 20 years in the US intelligence community. Trained in both SIGINT and HUMINT disciplines he has worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office. At various points in his career he served as an expert in information warfare, computer network operations, computer forensics, and indications and warning. A veteran of the US Army, Michael has served in both strategic and tactical assignments in the Pacific Theater, the Balkans, and the Middle East.