You wake up. You get out of bed and run a comb across your head. Find your way down stairs and grab a mug of coffee. You groggily start your morning routine by logging on to your favorite website. Maybe it’s your connection but it doesn’t come up, the little hour glass just keeps flipping. You’re about to flip so you hit refresh. Still nothing, so you close the browser and open it again to the same result.
You’re about to restart the machine when you think to try another site which works just fine. Or even worse imagine it doesn’t. You call your dad/sister/uncle/friend/grandma and find they’re having the same problem too. No one you know can connect to the internet.
That’s what some people believe could happen if Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010 (S. 3480) passes. It’s cyber security blanket that contains provisions of Senator Rockefeller's Cybersecurity Act of 2009. The most disturbing of which allows the President the authority to take over public and private infrastructures if he thinks it’s necessary.
According to a fact sheet put out by the bill’s sponsor Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut the President already has this power but would be limited to executing it only in a time of national or regional catastrophe. The concern is that the bill is to vaguely worded and the government wouldn’t be prepared to take over the civilian infrastructure as adequately as the people already running it,
Even as this bill is still being debated other actions with similar effects are being put into motion. The senate is also considering the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act which gives the Justice Department the ability to shut down any internet site they believe to be breaking copyright laws and block Top-Level domains run by overseas companies.
Many wonder if these security precautions are too restricting and infringe on privacy and freedom of speech. What do you think? Tell congress how you feel.
Check out communicationsjobs.net for an extensive resource on job opportunities, career seeking solutions, and career advancement tips.
By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer, business owner, and work-from-home mom.
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!