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The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 Passes Senate Panel

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the this-won't-end-well dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 passed a Senate panel, giving the president unprecedented power to issue a nation-wide blackout or restriction on websites without congressional approval. The bill, written by Sen. Jay Rockefeller [D-WV] and revised by Sen. Olympia Snow [R-ME], was drafted in an attempt to thwart internet-based terrorist threats, and gives the president this 'kill switch' without oversight or explanation. The bill is up for Senate vote."

17 of 367 comments (clear)

  1. Oh yeah? by Yvan256 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, you can't contr[Connection dropped by USA Presidential request].

  2. It's ok people by AnonGCB · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's not as bad as the Patriot act, so therefore it's ok for this to pass. At least they're not as bad as the last administration, right?

    --
    http://CryoLANparty.com/ A lan I'm staff on!
    1. Re:It's ok people by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2, Funny

      You are mistaken. Any number of "accidental catastrophes" could befall an operator. House fire, robbery, drive-by shooting, "random" murder during the commission of a robbery...

      Let's not forget a bad review on Yelp.

  3. A Kill Switch? by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is this Kill Switch just for the internet or the all the people who use the internet?

    1. Re:A Kill Switch? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      It's a poison pill. It acts like a virus. It replicates, eating up all the memory. If you see this affecting your machine as the system administrator, don't be an idiot. Type "Cookie". That will help to head the program off at the pass.

      The second portion of this poison pill is a "Zero Bug". it attacks all the login and overlay files. I advise that you run anti-virus, while checking out the systems display.

      The third, and final payload is a "rabbit" virus which infects administration systems. A smart administrator would sent a digital flu-shot. Without said precaution, the rabbit will replicates 'till it overloads a file, then it spreads like cancer. ...

      I got hit by the backdoor. It led to massive infections. Multiple GPI and FSI viruses.It came in from the remote nodes. It attacked my kernal! My system command process!

      Luckily, Penn Jillette (the astute computer tech, not the magician) was there to help secure my Gibson supercompuuter.

  4. Re:Bye, bye freedom... by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 4, Funny

    there is nothing we can do about it.

    Vote.
    Run for office.
    Rebel.

    I believe you forgot:
    ????
    Profit!

  5. Re:Hopenchange by fche · · Score: 3, Funny

    I really thoughts the democrats would be different.

  6. Don't blame me by axl917 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I voted for Hillary.

  7. Re:Report to Congress by daremonai · · Score: 2, Funny
    If Congress objects, all they have to do is send the President an email about it.

    Oh, wait.

  8. Re:Bye, bye freedom... by vikingpower · · Score: 2, Funny

    There is something you can do. It is called revolution. You - i.e. your ancestors - already did something similar, over 2 centuries ago. It resulted into the USA as we know it, today. Nothing prevents you from doing it again.

    --
    Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace
  9. Re:How does this work? by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Funny

    As far as I know, there's no Great Firewall of China style ISP-level filter here in America.

    This is probably your answer.

  10. Change you can believe in by wcrowe · · Score: 5, Funny

    Change you can beli-- 404 ERROR...

    --
    Proverbs 21:19
  11. Re:Need to have a fast method if needed by jittles · · Score: 2, Funny

    Do you really think that government could move faster than a skilled and knowledgeable network administrator who is protecting his infrastructure?

  12. Re:Uh huh, terrororists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Let me translate his post for readers here:

    President has "R" after his name: censorship = Bad
    President has "D" after his name: censorship = Good

    BTW, I haven't voted for the D team or the R team in over a quarter century.

  13. Re:How does this work? by vlm · · Score: 2, Funny

    Simply make two rules:

    Define "Everyone" below as any ISP in the USA.

    1) Everyone has to BGP peer with Big Brother AS number 666, one way or another

    2) Everyone has to accept (not filter) a 0/0 route from Big Brother AS 666 (most people filter anything bigger than a /8)

    Seems like it would be simple enough...

    According to my favorite AIM buddy "BGP Bot" AS 666 is not currently assigned, probably pending this law.

    --
    "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
  14. Re:How does this work? by nospam007 · · Score: 2, Funny

    All those series of tubes are connected to a big donkey wheel in the cellar of the White House where you can shut it off.

  15. Interesting response by axl917 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Did you read it off your palm?