The President May Get The Authority To Kick Us All Offline

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

http://kotaku.com/5567578/the-president-may-get-the-authority-to-kick-us-all-offline

As weird and scary as it sounds, there may be a time when you'll be able to blame your server going down on the current U.S. President instead of your internet provider.

A new U.S. Senate bill known as the "Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset" Act, would enable the president to access a "kill-switch" that would essentially allow him/her to pull the plug on portions of the internet in a cyber security emergency. According to Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), "…we cannot afford to wait for a cyber 9/11 before our government realizes the importance of protecting our cyber resources."

What portions of the internet would this affect? That's up to Homeland Security, according to a report on the proposed bill from CNET. Essentially, any company that "relies on the internet, the telephone system, or any other component of the U.S. information infrastructure" could be required to operate under the command of the National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications (NCCC), a new division of Homeland Security that would be put into operation if the bill passes. These companies would be required to keep their security measures up to NCCC standards. If they chose not to abide by the emergency shut down procedures put in place, they would be subject to a fine.

For online gamers, this may seem to be an attack on our recreational time. In many cases, we are paying for the online services we utilize, such as Xbox Live or subscription games. In turn, we rely on them to run ‘round the clock (with the exception of regularly scheduled maintenance periods). If these networks were to all of a sudden go down for a lengthy period of time, would we get our money back? If we were at a pivotal point in our game, would our items and status at the time of the shut down be returned upon the server's revival?

It would be a nuisance more than anything else, especially seeing as many online games cannot be played offline (such as WoW, EVE, Guild Wars and EverQuest ). A compromise mentioned in the bill states that companies would be reimbursed for money lost while their networks were forced to go offline. However, in the midst of whatever crisis has caused the internet be shut down, the game networks themselves may lose subscribers, which would affect business in the long term.

Roping online game networks into this group of internet outlets that could be involved in a security breach if hacked may seem unfair, seeing as online gaming networks really don't leave their users room to store potentially valuable data, aside from perhaps credit card information (unless you count an item that drops .001% of the time that you desperately need to complete your gear set). Sure, they're social networking outlets as well. I suppose you could see a group of orcs or gnomes hanging out and argue that they could be real-life terrorists planning an attack, but it's unlikely that your speculation could be proven true. Gaming networks are not where the threat of national security compromise lies. People log on to them to play a game-to socialize, and nothing more.

The idea of disconnecting all of our nation's servers seems like a knee-jerk reaction, and perhaps too much power for one person to hold. A better idea might be to beef up security on the sites that truly do have sensitive information, allowing the plug to be pulled on those sites in the event of a "cyber emergency."

My only questions are what exactly could be considered a "cyber emergency" and what is the likelihood that such an event will actually occur?

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

And the government yet again proves just how fucking stupid they are.

[Eli 474]

What exactly would constitute a "cyberspace 9/11"?

[Khellendross 1,260]

Technically a Killswitch would be used in the event the other security measures fail. In a perfect world.

I can kinda see their point in the want to have for this, If someone really wanted to fuck up things in the US, play around with the power/water/transportation grids. Lock down a good chunk of the country. A killswitch is their way of saying if all else fails. fuck it all.

[Kite 3,263]

reminds me of the ending to the movie ''escape from LA''

[Sledgstone 8,672]

You would think that the government would be content with a international kill switch instead of completely killing the internet.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

this isn't about protection its about denying us unbiased first hand minute by minute updates when bullshit goes down

think they're uber happy we're all checking out live cams of shit spewing into the gulf?

[Eli 474]

That's a little paranoid, Lady. lol But this is a half-cocked, hair-brained idea that has little merit outside the fantasy world of these people. It won't work.

[Kite 3,263]

tbh if they come up with this idea in Terminator, we could have stopped Skynet.

;p

[Khellendross 1,260]

That's a little paranoid, Lady. lol But this is a half-cocked, hair-brained idea that has little merit outside the fantasy world of these people. It won't work.

Unfortunately, they still think "Teh internets is a series of tubes :teethglint:"

btw, grats on 8k posts

[Pchan 5,162]

With the death of the internet, a fair share of the youth of today who're sort of addicted to it or unknowingly use the internet on a daily basis to fulfill their social needs, will feel like a cat living in a world without fish.

[Eli 474]

Interesting comparison. lol The death of the internet will never happen though. It'd be like deciding, ehh... telecommunications was a bad idea. Lets go back to couriers.

[HKofsesshoumaru 673]

If they suddenly turned off the internet wouldnt some businesses stop running?

[Ladywriter 7,783]

I buy all my wallscrolls from online stores so... yeah.

Paranoid, I doubt it. Just because there's a dem in the white house that dun mean i suddenly trust the govt, esp when the asshole re ups the patriot act. I am suspicious of anything w/ Homeland Security attached to it. They gave us the military commissions act and the patriot act. If ya really think I'm paranoid go read those.

[Eli 474]

There's a lot more than you know, but some things will never happen unless fucking WW3 hits, in which case I doubt your supplier of wall scrolls will be your primary concern.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

are you fucking talking to me?

all I care about is buying wallscrolls? Uh no, I was using that as a ref pt for HK

if you weren't talking to me then disregard. I've had another long tiering day

[nomedia=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjjLmmdLcEs]YouTube- Bill: Government Control Of Internet[/nomedia]

[Eli 474]

I'm simply saying it won't happen. They can write as many bills as they want to. And even if it did get signed off on, hidden in some other bill or something, the shit would get reversed quick fast and in a hurry.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

there is no reversed quick

PBO hasn't reversed any Bushy bullshit he re-uped it

[Eli 474]

Nothing as radical as shutting down or controlling the internet.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

I'd call grabbin ya holding ya w/o charges or an attorney for however long they want a bit radical

you would too if you were the person they grabbed >.<

[Eli 474]

That's exaggerated. If they don't have charges, you have the right to walk out. If you mention a lawyer, they have to stop and get one for you.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

I'm sure the assholes sitting in gitmo for years agree with you

had it not been for civil rights groups shining a spotlight on that shit it would still be going on

the ACLU pushed to have the Military commissions act amended and it was

The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act passed the house and stalled in the senate because of civil rights activists groups; it woulda made you and me the same as the assholes in gitmo

they might be terrorists scumbags but if we don't make our govt respect peoples rights they're coming for ours next, they tried

PBO renewed the Patriot Act just a few ago

I know this crap cuz I've been up to my pits in it for years. All this history is available online

look dude, I'm not yer teacher and have no interest in being so

I dunno wtf yer gig is lately, poke lady with a stick but I'll only tell you once to knock the shit off. I got way too much shit going on irl that I don't discuss on the open forums to have to deal with being aggravated by :jab:I'll just drop the ban hammer for another 2 years and not give you any more thought. I only bothered now cuz you can vote and if memory serves me right you're a father and I feel parents have a responsibility to their kids to try n leave this place in better shape then we found it.

AC rolls on just fine without you. Make your choice.