Internet Shut Down During Emergencies

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Bill could give Obama control of Internet during emergencies

Andrew Lyle   2 hours ago ยท 37 comments & 1585 views
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A new U.S. senate bill has been redrafted to give President Obama the power of control to shut down the Internet in case of emergency situations. The 55-page draft that was obtained by CNET appears to permit the president to seize temporary control over private-sector networks in a cybersecurity emergency.

If the bill is passed, it would allow control to temporary disable Internet traffic in private-sectors. "A Senate source familiar with the bill compared the president's power to take control of portions of the Internet to what President Bush did when grounding all aircraft on Sept. 11, 2001."

Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance, which contains large Internet and telecommunication companies such as Verizon, Verisign, Nortel and Carnegie Mellon University said "It is unclear what authority Sen. Rockefeller thinks is necessary over the private sector. Unless this is clarified, we cannot properly analyze, let alone support the bill."

The bill is still unclear what power of control President Obama might receive until it is properly addressed after the Senate's summer recess.

The bill is to protect against cyber threats and attacks on critical infrastructures such as the power grid in case of an attack from a broadband connection. Such control over the Internet may never be executed but with hackers getting more creative, national security becomes top priority in emergencies.

15,855 views 44 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Or used to cut citizens off from current events.  Sound familiar?

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

As long as it's kept on a national level.....

I wont have some forreign country have control over my internet access, no matter what their reasons might be!

Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I agree (intra-USA only)...but say in the case of a massive cyber attack aimed at the Pentagon etc., maybe something like that would be necessary...like unplugging the phone when being plagued by telemarketers? I don't know enough about it to express an educated opinion...just a thought.

*BTW, not all flights were grounded. The day after 9/11, vital medical flights continued (organ transplants and the like). One such flight to Seattle, WA (heart transplant) was grounded by the USAF and allowed to continue by helicopter.

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

What is an emergency situation?

What is temporary control?

It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. :S

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is.
End of quote

:thumbsup: :rofl:  Good one Bonehead.

"There's nothing more permanent than a temporary measure." - One Smart Cookie.

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It's to keep the public (and other prying eyes) in the dark when the aliens land & use the internet to communicate with our leaders.

:-"

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It's to keep the public (and other prying eyes) in the dark when the aliens land & use the internet to communicate with our leaders.
End of quote

 

 

 

*Note to Mothership - Starkers knows too much.  Preparing bunker for human in Blue Mountain base.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

when the aliens land & use the internet to communicate with our leaders.
End of quote

Only if they have given up on finding any intelligent life forms to communicate with.:rolleyes:

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

One man with the power to shut down the internet to an entire country.  Scary as hell.  What's next, the television and radio news will be government controlled?  General suspension of habius corpus instead of the power of such that Homeland Security can already invoke.  Dis-arming of the civil population?  We've seen all of this before both right wing and left about 60-70 years ago, lest we doom ourselves to forget history and therefore allow it to happen again, only this time in our country.

The phrese is "We the people" not we the government.................IMHO

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting angus1949, reply 9
One man with the power to shut down the internet to an entire country.  Scary as hell.  What's next, the television and radio news will be government controlled?  General suspension of habius corpus instead of the power of such that Homeland Security can already invoke.  Dis-arming of the civil population?  We've seen all of this before both right wing and left about 60-70 years ago, lest we doom ourselves to forget history and therefore allow it to happen again, only this time in our country.

The phrese is "We the people" not we the government.................IMHO
End of angus1949's quote

It does seem that folks just don't want to deal with history, 'it's in the past, it all ready happend, why do I care, I can't change it'.  :O

That is true, but there is one more thing you can do with history, you can learn from it.  :-"

Nah, that concept will never work. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting angus1949, reply 9
One man with the power to shut down the internet to an entire country.  Scary as hell.  What's next, the television and radio news will be government controlled?  General suspension of habius corpus instead of the power of such that Homeland Security can already invoke.  Dis-arming of the civil population?  We've seen all of this before both right wing and left about 60-70 years ago, lest we doom ourselves to forget history and therefore allow it to happen again, only this time in our country.

The phrese is "We the people" not we the government.................IMHO
End of angus1949's quote

Wake up people!!!!  This has happened before, just look at some other Countries.  This is not a Democrat or Republican issue.  They have been laying the groundwork for some time, not just this administration.  Although this one is going full throttle.  Turn off the TV and start some serious reading before it is too late.  Then speak up, no matter where or how.

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within."  paraphrased from a wriiting by W. Durant.

 

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing".  paraphrased from a writing by Edmund Burke.

 

Write your Senators and have a bill like this voted down.

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It's a conspiracy!  A gov't plot to take us back to the Stone-Age... to save us from ourselves.  Yup, that's it, we have become too advanced and reliant on technology.... techologies with the potential to harm the planet, wipe out the human race.  So, for our own sakes, the internet will be intermittantly turned off in ever increasing cycles until we have learned to live without it

The next obvious step is TV to isolate us from disturbing World news - enjoyable but nefarious entertainments that cause us to become fat and lazy couch potatoes - then radio so we are not consumed with devils music and jitterbug-like dance crazes.

Yes, we have become too dependent on technologies and consumerism, goods that make us soft and unable to truly fend for ourselves without them.  So in its wisdom, government will make hunter-gatherers out of us all and teach us by necessity to survive using only the basics nature has provided us. 

Motor vehicles will soon become a thing of the past... so harden your butts or get used to saddle sores. Telephones and other electronic communication devises will also phased out as well, so start training your carrier pigeons now... and watch out for the pony express because motorised mailmen will be no more.

Now you may all be sceptical, but ancient prophecies speak of a nuclear holocaust that reverts us back to the Stone-Age, and those wisest in government have decided to take us there without the davastation that would leave us glowing in the dark for centuries.

Well I dunno abouut you people, but I've ordered an abacus and my communicative drums arrived yesterday... plus I'm learnin' smoke signals cos a couple of people I know are hearing impaired and won't be able to get batteries for their hearing aids.

:-"

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

plus I'm learnin' smoke signals cos a couple of people I know are hearing impaired and won't be able to get batteries for their hearing aids.
End of quote
If those are curried cabbage powered smoke signals,they won't need to hear or see them,as long as they are downwind.:puke:

Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

If those are curried cabbage powered smoke signals,they won't need to hear or see them,as long as they are downwind.
End of quote

No, they won't be curried cabbage powered... the messages would be as clear as mud... and I don't want people hunting for their reading glasses just to hear what I'm saying.

:-"

 

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top



The bill is to protect against cyber threats and attacks on critical infrastructures such as the power grid in case of an attack from a broadband connection. Such control over the Internet may never be executed but with hackers getting more creative, national security becomes top priority in emergencies.

End of quote

What kind of moron came up with the idea to hook up the powergrid (and other critical infrastructure) on a public network? It's those idiots that are a threat to national security, not the hackers.

Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

What kind of moron came up with the idea to hook up the powergrid (and other critical infrastructure) on a public network? It's those idiots that are a threat to national security, not the hackers.
End of quote

My bet is on Al Gore.

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting BONEHEADdb, reply 18

What kind of moron came up with the idea to hook up the powergrid (and other critical infrastructure) on a public network? It's those idiots that are a threat to national security, not the hackers.


My bet is on Al Gore.
End of BONEHEADdb's quote

Yes, I believe you are correct, but he knew it was safe since he invented the internet. :-"

Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Yes, I believe you are correct, but he knew it was safe since he invented the internet.
End of quote
But Philly, he invented it because he would need it one day to spread the news about global warming, which I'm sure he and many other politicians are in no small way responsible.:\

Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Lets see angus, Politician, hot air, tempreture goes up, global warming.  I do believe you may be on to something here. :-" :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top

What kind of moron came up with the idea to hook up the powergrid (and other critical infrastructure) on a public network? It's those idiots that are a threat to national security, not the hackers.
End of quote

Ah, but there is method to those idiots' madness.  You see, the flaws and vulnerabilities, possibly deliberately put there to manipulate the masses, are an excuse to introduce draconian laws and extreme measures to control the people. Governments need that feeling of self-importance, and they need to be seen as doing the right thing, so they create these vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit (and may even pay them to pose innocuous threats) to elevate their (self) importance.

I've never been so naive as to think government is there for our benefit, so I therefore must conclude government conspiracy and cover-ups to feather their own nests... to somehow validate their positions.  And just because they intend to send us back to the Stone-Age, doesn't mean government will cease to exist. 

Of course it will, even when there are no vehicles or telephones in the hands of the public, governments will still have transport and telecommunications ministers... to impose taxes/have control over jungle drums and smoke signals.  And just because they've taken us back to the Stone-Age, it doesn't mean government will be there with us.  No, they will still have all the creature comforts and techmology at their disposal, in heavily fortified enclaves with 'bow and arrowed' armed guards outside to keep us out. 

Yup, even though they will have guns and other artillery devices, bows and arrows will suffice... because we will have been reduced to just throwing stones.

:-"

Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top

starkers! You sound like a malcontent to me. You should have more faith in your government. Our governments know better than we do what is good for us. Just do as your told and they will keep you safe and happy. :sheep:

 

My f*ckn' nose just grew an inch!

Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top

But Philly, he invented it because he would need it one day to spread the news about global warming, which I'm sure he and many other politicians are in no small way responsible.
End of quote

Naw, he invented global warming so he could get rich off of suckers that buy carbon credits.

Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top

starkers! You sound like a malcontent to me. You should have more faith in your government. Our governments know better than we do what is good for us. Just do as your told and they will keep you safe
End of quote

Malcontented doesn't cut it... try utterly disgusted and entirely lacking faith in government.  Every day here in Queensland (Oz), we hear of yet anothe gov't scandal and of gov't corruption/cronyism.... and then there's all the gov't advertising claiming how their intiiatives are creating jobs... when in fact many gov't initiatives are causing jobs to be lost.

And in Canberra (Federal Gov't), the opposition and gov't bicker like school children over just about everything... rather than work to improve our lot.  Our ABC televises parliament question time... and to be frank, I've seen better and more intelligible behaviour from the kids at the local kindy.

Nope, politicians are there only to further their own agendas, feather their own nests, line their own pockets.

My f*ckn' nose just grew an inch!
End of quote

With a whopper that BIG... it's a wonder it didn't grow a foot or two.Keep telling porkys like that and you'll have to extend the pedals and steering wheel... cos yer enlarged nose 'll mean having to drive from the back seat... even the trunk.

:-" ;P :rofl:

Naw, he invented global warming so he could get rich off of suckers that buy carbon credits.
End of quote

That is closer to the truth than you may think... but not with/just with Gore.  Our idiot Prime Minister is trying to introduce a carbon emmision scheme that will serve only to make the power companies richer by increasing our electricity costs by about 20%.  Power costs here have already increased here in Queensland by 30% in 3 years... with another 50% increase being touted for june 2010. 

Add to that the cost of Rudd's carbon emission scheme and that puts the overall increase at 100% over just 4 years... which is considerably greater than the current rate of inflation/actual costs to the power companies.

Will this scheme actually reduce global warming (as claimed)???  Pig's arse it will... there's no such thing as global warming as a result of mans impact on the planet. Earth has a history of 'natural' climate change, sometimes in the extreme, and the whole global warming thing is a money making ruse to make the rich richer... and Rudd is a gullible fool gambling with our money.

This time next year, I'll be sitting to pee because I won't be able to afford to turn the light on to see standing up

;P

.