[LINK] How Egypt Shut down the net

[Jan Whitaker]

At 09:14 AM 23/02/2011, Paul Brooks wrote:
>declare after-the-fact that the orders to 'down the Internet' were a 
>violation of
>something.

....or not. And that's why the safeguards against arbitrary actions 
without oversight by courts are not allowed. We have far too much 
"because we can as a matter of national security" going on. This is 
just as bad as because we can, we should. That ethical measure is nasty.

If it's for security of one sort, it's also worth having safeguards 
of other security and rights in place as well. Collecting our 
population's online data is not a way to do either without reasonable 
suspicion. Too much data is as bad as too little.

Having the technical ability to turn a shut-off valve must be under 
very strict circumstances and as a last resort method of risk 
management. If our infrastructure is at risk, then harden the 
infrastructure. Take SCADA systems for utility control off the public 
network. Take critical military systems off the public network. Avoid 
the danger in the first place.

All or nothing is not the way to look at this problem.

Jan



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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