Monday, February 21, 2011

'kill switch' to save us from cyberattacks? or no 'kill switch'?

Three U.S. Senators have presented a new bill that would limit the authority of the president's request to shut down parts of the Internet during a major cyberattack. The Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act, introduced late Thursday, would explicitly deny the president or other U.S. officials "authority to shut down the Internet." One of the senators, Senator Joseph Lieberman, states that it is basically impossible to shut down the Internet in this country. He says that there is no 'kill-switch' in their legislation.

Lieberman, Susan Collins and Tom Carper, the bill's sponsors, introduced a cybersecurity bill that would have defined emergency powers that the president could use, in 2010. In these included shutting down parts of the Internet when there is an ongoing cyberattack on the nation's critical infrastructure. The new legislation has similar language, allowing the president to take emergency action to protect, but the new bill adds to this saying that the president, and any federal cybersecurity officials and government employees do not have the authority to shut down the Internet.

Many, including members of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, argued that the bill would limit the powers that the president has in the Communications Act in 1934 to shut down wired and radio communications during war time. Although this is true, the bill failed to pass through Congress. Because of this, the new 221 page bill mirrors parts of the 2010 bill. This bill would require owners of critical infrastructure to fix vulnerabilities. It would also establish and create a national center that would focus on preventing and responding to various cyberattacks.

If the president knows that there are major cyberattacks occuring through our Internet stream, why shouldn't he have the power to shut it down? He is elected to serve and protect his people of his country, and if he is doing so, I don't see much of the harm. Sure, it would be inconvenient. But would most people rather be affected by a cyberattack? Who knows the major damange it could cause. Atleast, though, it was considered that the president take action.

Article Name: Bill would prohibit Internet 'kill switch'
by: Grant Gross

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9210339/Bill_would_prohibit_Internet_kill_switch_?taxonomyId=17

No comments:

Post a Comment