Senate Bill 773, the Cybersecurity Act of 2009, is causing some concern across the country, as images of cyber-attacks begin to invade the minds of our citizenry and cause them to reach a frenzied panic.
Rest assured, our government is at work to make sure the horrors illuminated by "Live Free or Die Hard" do not become a reality. Timothy Olyphant won't be able to flummox our national defenses with a cell phone; neither will Bruce Willis be able to stop him with a BlackBerry,
The real reasoning behind the emergency powers being granted to the president by this bill is done under the auspices of national security, the argument being that in trying times, the Internet could be used to tie up infrastructure, transportation, energy and security systems across the U.S.
At face value, this argument sounds good, like the government is our friend, watching out for us and keeping us safe from the villains in a shadowy, online world.
Our concern comes when we examine this further, below the surface.
Taking control of the Internet is seen as a way to help prevent mass chaos and panic, to keep the "terrorists" from spreading misinformation about evacuations.
Our question is this, though: Wouldn't taking over the Internet cause an even larger panic than one the unknown "cyber-terrorists" could cause?
We realize the Internet is a vital and necessary part of our lives, so disrupting it in such a fashion, even in the case of a national emergency, may cause more problems than what it would solve.
What should be done? We have a few humble suggestions.
Continue to update and strengthen the cyber-security systems used by our governmental agencies, businesses and online marketplaces.
Make sure our nation's transport systems and airport control towers are adequately protected.
If the Blackout of 2003 showed us anything, our nation's energy grids need updating and maintenance, so focus your energies there, where they are most needed.
We're reasonably well-assured NORAD central command can no longer be hacked by a kid playing a computer game, a'la "War Games."
Let's leave the cyber-terror plots to Hollywood's B-list writers and actors and focus on the real problems at hand.
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