Bill would give president emergency control of Internet...

[Exterminator]

Then don't go all "He!" on this if you are pointing fingers at the wrong person!

What do you expect with these people; don't you know that everything is Obama's fault?  This morning, they were testing the fire alarms in our building...more of Obama's fear-mongering.   

[me]

Bill would give president emergency control of Internet...

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.

They're not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency.

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.

"I think the redraft, while improved, remains troubling due to its vagueness," said Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance, which counts representatives of Verizon, Verisign, Nortel, and Carnegie Mellon University on its board. "It is unclear what authority Sen. Rockefeller thinks is necessary over the private sector. Unless this is clarified, we cannot properly analyze, let alone support the bill."

Representatives of other large Internet and telecommunications companies expressed concerns about the bill in a teleconference with Rockefeller's aides this week, but were not immediately available for interviews on Thursday.

First post. 

[Exterminator]

  How many computers do you think are sitting in people's homes at this very moment on and idling, connected to the internet and completely unattended?

So let's set up a hypothetical situation for you, me.  We already know that hackers have the ability to commandeer other people's computers and use them for malicious purposes and I can tell you from experience that many individual PC's can be logically linked together over the internet and can work together in concert toward a common goal, creating what is effectively a very powerful virtual super computer.  What if hackers or computer experts from a hostile country or group used this technology and were able to infiltrate the country's infrastructure or defense systems and the only way to stop them from wreaking havoc with our electrical grid, nuclear power plants, sewage treatment facilities, traffic control systems, air traffic control, etc. was to limit the computing power available to them to accomplish this task by disconnecting your machine and mine and millions of others just like them?  Do you think it would be a good idea?

[Bo D]

  How many computers do you think are sitting in people's homes at this very moment on and idling, connected to the internet and completely unattended?

So let's set up a hypothetical situation for you, me.  We already know that hackers have the ability to commandeer other people's computers and use them for malicious purposes and I can tell you from experience that many individual PC's can be logically linked together over the internet and can work together in concert toward a common goal, creating what is effectively a very powerful virtual super computer.  What if hackers or computer experts from a hostile country or group used this technology and were able to infiltrate the country's infrastructure or defense systems and the only way to stop them from wreaking havoc with our electrical grid, nuclear power plants, sewage treatment facilities, traffic control systems, air traffic control, etc. was to limit the computing power available to them to accomplish this task by disconnecting your machine and mine and millions of others just like them?  Do you think it would be a good idea?

Very good point. We already have the power to shut down an ISP that is allowing a Denial of Service attack to be routed through their servers.

What's the big deal?

[pariann]

I'd just hate it if I were in the middle of streaming a really good movie!

[Exterminator]

I'd just hate it if I were in the middle of streaming a really good movie!

Wouldn't matter if the power goes out.

[pariann]

I'm anticipating the government shutting down my internet before loss of power would occur. 

At any rate, I'd have my choice of who to be mad at, and it wouldn't be me for not paying my internet or utility bill, for once.

[Exterminator]

I'm anticipating the government shutting down my internet before loss of power would occur. 

At any rate, I'd have my choice of who to be mad at, and it wouldn't be me for not paying my internet or utility bill, for once.

Fortunately, my crossword puzzles are packaged as a Flash application so I'd be able to finish.   

[pariann]

Tell me you have a laptop with an excellent battery.

[pariann]

Oops, did I ask that out loud?

[Exterminator]

LOL...backup batteries!

[me]

  How many computers do you think are sitting in people's homes at this very moment on and idling, connected to the internet and completely unattended?

So let's set up a hypothetical situation for you, me.  We already know that hackers have the ability to commandeer other people's computers and use them for malicious purposes and I can tell you from experience that many individual PC's can be logically linked together over the internet and can work together in concert toward a common goal, creating what is effectively a very powerful virtual super computer.  What if hackers or computer experts from a hostile country or group used this technology and were able to infiltrate the country's infrastructure or defense systems and the only way to stop them from wreaking havoc with our electrical grid, nuclear power plants, sewage treatment facilities, traffic control systems, air traffic control, etc. was to limit the computing power available to them to accomplish this task by disconnecting your machine and mine and millions of others just like them?  Do you think it would be a good idea?

There is already something in place for that.  Why take it any further.  If this had been Bush's idea ya'll would have been screaming like banshee's.

[Exterminator]

There is already something in place for that.  Why take it any further.  If this had been Bush's idea ya'll would have been screaming like banshee's.

And you know this how, oh computer genius?