The Pentagon wholeheartedly supports strong encryption and opposes efforts to add back doors to secure software, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said at a cybersecurity conference on Thursday.

While Carter refused to comment on the Apple case specifically — calling it a "law enforcement matter" when asked — he did say that for departments within his purview, "data security is an absolute necessity. We're foursquare behind strong data security and encryption."

He later added that he is "not a believer in back doors or a single technical approach to what is a complex problem," according to the AP.

Carter also noted that addressing the current divide between Washington and Silicon Valley will require cooperation from both sides.