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Originally posted by NovusOrdoMundi
Could Swine Flu Take the Internet Down?
No.
Next ridiculous swine flu question.
I apologize for my minimal contribution to this thread but simple questions about impossible theoretical problems require only simple answers.
Originally posted by MR BOB
the internet is not a single thing. it's a network, consisitng of billions of servers connected to phonelines all over the world. When you type in the address, it is like dialaing the phone, and you connect to the site.
Some sites can become overloaded, as you cannot have too many people acces the same thing too much. like everybody trying to rush through the same doorway.
but for this to happen to everysingle website in the world is unthinkable
Originally posted by Silk
reply to post by Iamonlyhuman
Well that assumes the US govt owns the internet - which it doesnt
edit to add
The US Govt may well restrict its citizens - but i doubt the world outside will notice
[edit on 3-10-2009 by Silk]
A new bill would give the President emergency authority to halt web traffic and access private data.
The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 (PDF) gives the president the ability to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" and shut down or limit Internet traffic in any "critical" information network "in the interest of national security." The bill does not define a critical information network or a cybersecurity emergency. That definition would be left to the president.
Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.
The new version would allow the president to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" relating to "non-governmental" computer networks and do what's necessary to respond to the threat. Other sections of the proposal include a federal certification program for "cybersecurity professionals," and a requirement that certain computer systems and networks in the private sector be managed by people who have been awarded that license.