Shuttin’ Down the Web

Picture if you will a massive cyber attack, mounted from servers overseas but replicating through “bots” (taking over local computers to act on their behalf by use of a virus to effect their evil intention), aimed at shutting down all financial transactions, destroying stored data and eviscerating fundamental information servers, ending banking as we know it, shutting down power grids and terminating telecommunications throughout the land. Or if you prefer… how about a growing dissent that is spreading through mobile and computer-based social networking riot-inducing and governmental destabilizing rabble-rousing but credible threats to bring down the incumbent government. What’s a leader to do? Shut down the whole damned Web?!

Hosni Mubarak did it, but where is he now… but Barak ain’t a'gonna do that; he can’t right? Well there is a bill before Congress that would give the President superpowers in a cyber-emergency to do just that with the entire private and public Internet infrastructure. It was introduced last summer by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), but it didn’t exactly pass muster. Even as the threats to our entire communications infrastructure and our financial network escalate, a new revised version of this legislation has just been reintroduced for consideration during the current session. Hell, if Michelle Obama won’t let her daughters “Facebook,” can we trust the President with such vast powers? Hell yes if outside forces threaten to bring us to our collective knees!

The January 24^th CBS.com describes the current status: “The revised version includes new language saying that the federal government's designation of vital Internet or other computer systems ‘shall not be subject to judicial review.’ Another addition expanded the definition of critical infrastructure to include ‘provider of information technology,’ and a third authorized the submission of ‘classified’ reports on security vulnerabilities… The idea of creating what some critics have called an Internet ‘kill switch’ that the president could flip in an emergency is not exactly new.

“A draft Senate proposal that CNET obtained in August 2009 authorized the White House to ‘declare a cybersecurity emergency,’ and another from Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) would have explicitly given the government the power to ‘order the disconnection’ of certain networks or Web sites. House Democrats have taken a similar approach in their own proposals.”

How did Egypt do it? Was there one great big switch to throw? Not exactly. The January Techland.time.com (January 28^th) explains: “Egypt's been able to effectively remove itself from the internet by pulling its normally visible routes from the BGP routing table. The IP addresses that identify computers connected to the internet through all of Egypt's ISPs are now basically invisible to the outside world. Computers inside the country are currently sort of like houses with no mailboxes that aren't on any map.

“Egypt's been able to effectively remove itself from the internet by pulling its normally visible routes from the BGP routing table. The IP addresses that identify computers connected to the internet through all of Egypt's ISPs are now basically invisible to the outside world. Computers inside the country are currently sort of like houses with no mailboxes that aren't on any map.” Where the law requires, cell phone carriers likewise can be ordered to shut down, and they are just as capable of shutting down their mobile networks… completely. China runs filters, some of which operate automatically and others that are manned by about 50,000 individual censors that constantly roam around looking for elements to “eliminate.”

In the end, this is particularly scary to freedom loving, First Amendment supporting and vociferous Americans. I can see a remake of the famous “Seven Days in May” military takeover conspiracy film … but based on a complete takeover of the Web. But then again, who would believe it… er… ohhhhhh!

I’m Peter Dekom and there is no good way to look at this problem… or the solution.