The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee weighed in on the battle of words over encrypting personal communications on Thursday, calling it “crucial” to data protection.

“Encryption really helps protect personal information,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said at a cyberspace policy event at the American Enterprise Institute. “It’s crucial to that. I like the fact that if anyone gets my iPhone, they’re going to have a hard time getting into it.”