RE: Internet Kill Switch. WTF is a "cyber attack?"

So everyone is talking about it but no one is mentioning exactly what it is in the abyss of replies... what exactly would this be needed for? What information would be so bad that we couldn't communicate???

[edit on 20-6-2010 by hautmess]

The only thing I can think of is hackers trying to hijack major systems - power grids, national security, nukes, communications systems, etc. Still, you would think they could thwart a threat without taking the whole system offline.

I just hope it acts as a filter to keep viruses from taking off.

If it is for protecting against viruses, then it's a good thing. If it's for blocking forms of communication, then it's a bad thing.

Die HARD 4

reply to post by hautmess


Have you ever seen the movie Live Free or Die Hard? If so it is pretty much a fire sale, but maybe not as wide spread.

First off, lets clarify what the Kill Switch would be. Its not a big red button in the oval office or war room that will instantly stop all network capable traffic. It is a policy that would allow throttling or limitations to be put into place for data and communication restrictions.

I dont really worry too much about the government being able to completely kill the internet. Why?

Think about what makes up the internet.

The internet is just a series of routers, switches and computers all sharing information across wires, microwaves and satellites. There are 100s of thousands of routers and switches and millions of computers just in the US alone that make up our local branch of the internet.
To connect to the rest of the world, there are 100s of thousands of miles of cables above and below ground and running along the ocean floor, as well as linked satellites.

While countries like China have put strict limits on their internet sharing with the world, that is simply done between governments and agencies, like Google, that control the transmission lines and satellites that are the pipeline between the countries. They "firewall" as much data transmission as possible between two countries, thereby limiting what can be sent in or out through that firewall. This is done at the main interchanges for the hardwires and in the software onboard the satellites. It is an effective way to limit data flow, but still data gets in and out of those countries because the policies are not perfect and would do more harm than good if they went for a full on shut down of those transmission medias.

However, once inside the country, it is much more difficult to put those limitations down.

They could tell service providers like ATT to "shut" their digital data ports down, essentially stopping the flow of data, but that would also interfere with their ability to provide digital phone service, since smartphones use a lot of the same technology. As well, cable providers like ComCast can easily do the same, but they would also be putting straining limitations on their ability to provide other media and communication services.

Think of the Kill Switch in terms of a Patriot Act specifically for the internet. Its a tool that the government can use to exploit the flow of data through limitations and disconnections to major areas, while still noting that it is an imperfect tool alone for the absolute collapse of information sharing across the wire and air.

I personally think it's just a pathetic response to the successful hacking of the Air Force by that kid in the UK. And while I think wikileaks is most likely a pile of disinfo, it could be to prevent other situations like it to arise.

Even if they did have some kind of full on kill switch, if they kept it down for too long the economy would fall even further into the hole. If even a semi-large portion of the country didn't have access (like say any particular service provider going off-line for a period of time) enough people not using the internet for purchases would have some sort of impact.

Why don't we ask Al Gore?

reply to post by wheresthetruth


no

they can shutdown all US DNS servers, so you wont be able to find your websites using an address www

it would still physically work, but normal people wouldnt be able to do anything

there is talk that the 'disguise' being used is national security of the "currency system" and "financial systems", which on the books protecting our money is a good thing, but we all know their intentions are much, much more malevolent.

Originally posted by kngspde
there is talk that the 'disguise' being used is national security of the "currency system" and "financial systems", which on the books protecting our money is a good thing, but we all know their intentions are much, much more malevolent.

And how do we ALL know this??

You are nothing more than a fear monger and someone who OBEY IGNORANCE & DEFYS FAMILIARITY.

reply to post by wheresthetruth


Yours is the most rational answer I've seen yet. The idea that the government can just 'flip a switch' and turn off the internet like some sort of lightbulb is kinda silly, it would require a large level of support from ISP's such as Comcast, AT&T, Cox, Time-Warner, QWEST and so on. If you don't like the idea of being offline then get a HAM radio or CB.

Fear not, there is no kill switch for the internet.

reply to post by Faiol


Well, I still have faith in the system simply because there are over a hundred DNS providers and that many more DDNS providers that cache this information and keep it readily available just in the US.

Unless they firewall the connections we have to the rest of the world completely (absolutely unlikely due to government communiques), we also have a lot of this information cached up on foreign DNS servers all over Europe.

In the meantime, it would be absolutely counterproductive to kill the internet, since it would bring the banking industry to a grinding halt, US based international business with predominately online presence, education and government communications. I know you dont think they are going to spend the kind of money it would take to set up a ghost network that uses VPN for all of these services and keep it hidden from the level of hackers we have in the US.

The internet is probably the one entity in the world that I would think is too big to fail. That is because it is not housed just in a single conglomerate under the watchful eyes of a few, it is everyone, everywhere, everything...it is you and it is me. Essentially, the internet is the Matrix.