Re: Obama silencing his critics This would probably not be a physical switch, it would probably be a PC with authority to enter commands and deactivate TCP/IP paths. If we can secure the codes and red button to authorize a nuke launch, we can secure the PC also, IMO. You could program it to require dual authorization, which is what you see for the nuke codes, probably a good idea. Just keep them together.
That is one possible way the internet can be used to facilitate an attack against the US. Another way is to use it to access computers in corporate america, render them useless, and seriously harm commerce in the US.
That's what I thought this whole thing was about at first, but then realized that it could be used as a communication tool, too. I don't know if I like the fact that the Government could do this, but then again, I offer no other suggestions.
Re: Obama silencing his critics That's a particularly bad idea that indicates no understanding of the issue. You don't have to sit in your home country to hack a computer, you can be anywhere with your PC and internet access. Suppose the russian mob hacker is in Rome, what are we gonna do, bomb Italy? I suppose you've analyzed this. Please fill us in with the major findings of your analysis, naw you're just shooting from the hip again. You want the govt. to conduct our wars, right? I want them to conduct cyber war for us, private industry does not do well fighting wars. National Journal Magazine - The Cyberwar Plan Industry can't even prevent themselves from being hacked, so who is going to plan our cyber defense. Industry or war specialists? I vote for the war specialists. This is not what industry does.
Re: Obama silencing his critics What you're saying is completely contradictory. By your logic, the only secure configuration is to turn the device off, which is how you justify this kill switch idea. But yet, the thought of having the kill switch itself compromised is simply infeasible? What happened to highly "motivated professionals"? What do you think will happen when you put a high priority target like a kill switch on the grid? You can't just throw out conjecture and have it only apply to specific situations when it is convenient to your argument. It's pretty easy to sit there and Google stories about data breaches here and there while ignoring the countless ones that aren't successful. As someone who works in the industry, actively evaluating and testing the information security programs of financial institutions around the country, I have to respectfully say that I am pretty sure you have no idea what you are talking about.
Re: Obama silencing his critics Let's see, we can secure the nuke codes and launch key, but not an internet kill switch? Hint: don't make it resident on the grid, make it a private network. You don't even have to plug it in, keep it isolated except for the daily test. There are all sorts of ways including physical security to secure the capability. I'm in the business also, been all my career. Criminal and national security threats are real and I have described several. Are you saying cyber war is not possible, although the US has the capability and has used it, and the russian mob has used it to hack systems and steal their data? Maybe you can find an article debunking mine, saying cyber war is a cruel hoax or something. Right now, you have nothing.
Re: Obama silencing his critics Where do you think all of the data on every network that has ever been breached ever is? Hint: They are all on private internal networks. Nothing you are mentioning is uncommon or unique in the least. All of these threats have been around for a long time and the country hasn't collapsed on itself yet. No, you have described generic threats that have existed for a long time. There is nothing new. Your articles don't prove anything except that data breaches occur, which I have already acknowledged because everyone knows that. I'm not saying the war isn't possible because that would be ignorant. It's already occurring right now. What you can't seem to grasp is the residual impact turning the internet off will have on everything else. Doing so will do far more harm than good.
Re: Obama silencing his critics Nor have we been subjected to a true cyber attack like we did against Iraq. Things change, the attacks in the past are not all the attacks that can be created. Making that statement says you know the extent of the harm. I don't think you or anyone else knows this. Our concept of the extent of the harm of the worst oil spill in the gulf has sure changed after 50 years of not believing it could be this bad. Study this one: Hackers penetrate mid-level bank IT network | GDS Publishing Has that threat been around a long time? Generic? I don't think so.
Re: Obama silencing his critics Actually yes. It is very generic. I do it every day. If you had ever actually performed a penetration test you would understand that that is what happens every single time you are successful. If you think attaching a PDF to an email is some new and exciting high-tech attack vector, your head would explode if you saw what some of my coworkers are capable of. No wonder you think the only solution is to turn everything off.
Re: Obama silencing his critics it is exactly what industry does. banks and such employ armies of people to defend them from hacks.
