Should there be an Internet Emergency Broadcast System?

Lately, I have just been full of pondering really weird questions and one of them that came to me today is this one; Should there be an IEBS?

Would it be possible to instigate one and what are the ramifications of such a possibility? Do you think countries have the capability of using kill switches to disrupt Internet connections? Should they be able to if not? I think there is censure involved in certain places, right?

With all the hackers out there, would it be a wise choice to have such a system in place? I did a search and wasn't able to find anything about the implementation of such a system, do you think they are trying to do so, yet?

a reply to: searcherfortruth

A single point of interest for hackers to exploit the entire internet? Absolutely not.

Or instead just leave it up to cell phone companies to issue the alerts since most people always have their phone nearby.

a reply to: searcherfortruth

If there was a SHTF, the internet would know about it before most. Imagine sirens going off or something in your hood and you going, meh...

The problem would be creating a multi network multicast broadcast and it would need a rather long meeting of the IETF (the propeller heads who actually make it all work) and given how the internet is generally built it would be possible but would be a trolls paradise as you'd need to accept a broadcast from an external source without being able to verify it and then transmit it to all devices on your network(s).

Also the devices would need to know and understand the broadcast message and how to display it.

As for internet kill switches - theres always one around not in the protocol but probably a very large power switch at the point where the submarine/sat comms arrive...very efficient and pretty much anyone can flip a switch.

There used to be a bit setting i remember from studying ipv4 in its earliest phases that allowed traffic priority but was replaced for some other use as it was meant for allowing military traffic priority in case of emergency and the military have their own separate networks there was no need for it so it got reused.

a reply to: searcherfortruth

Its not it the internet...but the towers and sats that can...and cables, dishes, DSL lines etc... can get killed so you got your computer but a "CANNOT CONNECT TO THE INTERNET" alert...

a reply to: searcherfortruth

PS: You should know, FEMA/Dept. of Homeland Security/Emergency Management services and 1st Responding systems...we do have a secondary connection ability that uses an alternate means of contact within our organizations should all be gone.

I can say that we anticipate all internet to be gone...and have had plans in efect for that contingency for at least the last 10 years or more.

My Security clearance/non-disclosure agreement prevents me from discussing further.

originally posted by: searcherfortruth
Lately, I have just been full of pondering really weird questions and one of them that came to me today is this one; Should there be an IEBS?

Would it be possible to instigate one and what are the ramifications of such a possibility? Do you think countries have the capability of using kill switches to disrupt Internet connections? Should they be able to if not? I think there is censure involved in certain places, right?

With all the hackers out there, would it be a wise choice to have such a system in place? I did a search and wasn't able to find anything about the implementation of such a system, do you think they are trying to do so, yet?

Well, if by 'internet' you mean the world wide web it would be pretty simple for the ISP's to have every http-request redirected to a 'splash screen' of sorts that would show the emergency broadcast. (From there you would obviously have the opportunity to access that web as usual)

It is so simple that ISP's could have such a system ready in a couple of hours - the most complicated part would be to agree on how it should be activated - should FEMA have direct access or should FEMA contact the ISP's to get it activated, and if so, be which means etc.

Sure, hackers could possibly activate it, but the damage would be minimal - a real scenario would have the traditional EBS activated too, so a quick glance on the TV is all it would take to confirm or dismiss it. Of course the traditional EBS may be hacked too, but that could happen regardless of the existence of an IEBS.

What you DO NOT want to do is to make a system that takes over your device to warn you. That would be a bad, bad, idea hack that, and you can effectively shut down most avenues of communication for the citizens.

But as long as you make the system passive as suggested, then why not? If everyone in America would get the message as soon as they used the web, the information would spread at a crazy pace.