Internet shutdown

[Potatoman]

I saw on TV tonight about terrorist groups possibly using the internet in someway to communicate discretly or something. If the government saw any thruth in this, would it be possible to shut the entire internet down for security reasons?

[bernardo]

No. They just meant that the terrorists browse the internet looking for useful information just like everybody else. The internet is un-shut-down-able anyway because it is not centralised.

[maxi29]

Ha,ha, ha. It reminds me of the time that some Tory backbencher proposed, in all seriousness, that Virginia Bottomley should be put in charge of the Internet. As Bernardo rightly points out, the Internet is not centralised precisely to stop it from being shut down.

[jenstar]

On the other hand, as we know from what's happened in China, it is possible to restrict access.

[norfolk boy]

So tell me Bernado what would happen if all the mainstream servers in every country was shut down then ?

[Gandy]

You could simply shut down the 13 or so domain name servers. whilst not completely shutting down the internet it would make most of it inaccessible

[bernardo]

If all the mainstream servers in every country were shut down, then it wouldn't work.

So tell me Norfolk Boy, how would you persuade all the servers in all the coutries in the world to shut down at the same time?

[maxi29]

And to add to Bernardo's point, how would a goverment order the servers to be shut down anyway? I can't see that happening in any western democracy (ie the places the hold the bulk of the servers).

[Kaos24]

I think that is a great question and a very touchy subject. knowing that only around 12% of the net is monitored at any one time that means so much can and does slip through unnoticed. these are all problems that would be solved if those guy's in the university that wanted to make a program so they could chat to each other and subsiquently invented the internet had thought ahead and realise the security implecations that would undoubtable arise in the future. This is a problem that has got way out of hand and will not be solved anytime in the near future. I worry more bout the child molesters out there using the net to prey on young kids. world and top secret information is easy to acquire with the right amount of no how and money. we need to as a worldwide campaign all come together and design and implecate a stategy and plan to police the net. not just a little but the whole thing. REMEMBER we need to spend money to make money.

[Kaos24]

And to bernado's question to norfolk boy. When and if the time came to shut down all servers then the companies doing it would acquire disclaimer forms and the servers would have no choice but to shut down. If you knew that a country or even a persons life and wellbeing could be saved if you would just close for a day or so then would you not do it. I would. to be told to shut down as a server and not obbey would be an act of terrorism in itself

[Kev_UK]

I remember a few years ago there was a spoof e-mail going around telling people the internet would be shutting down for maintainance at a certain time and date so they could clear up all the websites that were abandoned or those that the links didn't work anymore. It had a few people fooled.. like those that sent it to 10 of their friends as requested LOL.

[Kev_UK]

There are so many main servers around the world, I remember a few years ago a virus knocked out a few, but the internet still worked, albeit slow as traffic had to be rerouted

[CARLOVER]

It is not possible. Shutting down the internet would be violating freedom of speech, which is against the constitution.

[mystery]

 Seems like MSN groups have been shut down.