Back around the beginning of April this year, Sen. John Rockefeller, Sen. Evan Bayh, Sen. Bill Nelson and Sen. Olympia Snowe introduced a bill that would effectively hand over control of the Internet and the infrastructure that supports it to the government.
The first thing that this bill does is to give the President the authority to appoint a “Cybersecurity Advisory Panel” to advise him. The topics that they are to advise him on are as follows:
- Any process, program, or protocol that relates to the Internet or an Intranet.
- Automatic data processing or transmission.
- Telecommunication via the Internet or an Intranet.
- Any matter relating to, or involving the use of, computers or computer networks.
Not a bad thing there, right?
It goes on to provide for several other considerations:
- Requires the Department of Commerce to develop and implement a system to provide cybersecurity status and vulnerability information regarding all federal information systems and networks managed by the DoC.
- Provides financial assistance for the creation and support of regional cybersecurity centers for small and medium sized US businesses.
- Requires the NIST to create cybersecurity standards for all federal government, government contractor, or grantee infrastructure information systems and networks.
- Requires a national licensing and certification program for cybersecurity professionals.
- Will provide for civil or criminal penalties if certain services are provided without being certified.
- Much more…
The items that are listed above which this Cybersecurity Advisory Panel can advise the President are scary to begin with. The description opens up nearly any communication medium we use that requires electricity.
The first point. Any process, program or protocol:
This can apply to ANYTHING you use on your computer, cell phone, land line (in most cases), or nearly any other multimedia device. It goes further though. The software you use for email, web browsing, chat, watching movies, doing your job, writing letters, playing games, or doing your banking are all covered by this line alone.
Second point. Automatic data processing or transmission:
Oh boy… This is going to hit a spot with everyone out there that uses direct deposit. Many systems that are used for banking in general are automated data processing systems. Many web sites use automated data processing in their code to handle users, sessions, and a multitude of other data. ATM’s use automated data processing to both dispense and receive money from clients. All of the above use automated data transmission as well. There are thousands of other examples of this particular type of technology being used throughout our personal lives as well as business.
Third point. Telecommunication via the Internet or an Intranet:
GAH! Do you speak on a phone? You are affected by this particular line. Do you chat on the net? What about sending email? Maybe use an internal office network for chat with coworkers? What about sending text messages? The word telecommunication has changed over the years. The change came because the networks were all changed to data networks over the years. Very few calls move over networks that are not either connected to the Internet or are technically part of an Intranet. The lines here can be smudged quite easily.
Fourth point: Any matter relating to, or involving the use of, computers or computer networks:
It would have been much more simple for the writers of this bill to just say this from the start. This is the punchline of the entire thing. They have oversight of everything concerning computers or computer networks. In other words, everything we do with the exception of writing on paper, talking in person, or carving our names in freshly poured cement.
To be fair though, these people are only going to be advising the president on these matters. Right?
Not so fast!
In a twist of fate that could only be brought about by someone already corrupted by government service, the bill gives the president the power to ”declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network.” I hope that all the major bandwidth and cell providers are shaking in their boots right now. The fed will now have complete control over whether they function or not. As the bill doesn’t actually spell out the definition of a compromised system OR the definition of critical infrastructure, the new powers granted to the president could be used to shut down any network or computer across the nation if he sees fit.
Scared yet?
The bill also allows the president to gather and store security and vulnerability data on any systems or networks that the president thinks to be critical. Again, no definition of the word “critical” in the bill. To take this all one step further though, any of the data that is gathered by the president is available to the Secretary of Commerce “without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access.”
Ok, you should be a bit scared now. This bill very simply gives the government unrestricted access to any data on any public or private network or computer in the US.
I think I will just let that last line speak for itself.