Reflecting on the online security of the people

Upon further reflection of this article “Cyber Hype Intended to Destroy the Open Internet” , I started to feel alarmingly disturbed. Under the guise of protecting the state, would the fundamental liberties of the Internet be abolished? What McConnell proposes is the destruction/removal of the anarchical existence of the Internet, and replaced by a governmentality, that claim’s that it’s for the good of the nation. “We need to develop an early-warning system to monitor cyberspace, identify intrusions and locate the source of attacks with a trail of evidence that can support diplomatic, military and legal options — and we must be able to do this in milliseconds.” If we the people are in need of protection, police are here to enforce and regulate laws, whereas, the military are there to protect the state, however, in McConnell’s case, he does not fully discern which regarding the Internet, and therefore, the people can easily then become the enemies of the state. It would also mean that the self-governing bodies on the Internet would start to fade into the distance as, McConnell continues his rant that, “More specifically, we need to re-engineer the Internet to make attribution, geo-location, intelligence analysis and impact assessment — who did it, from where, why and what was the result — more manageable.” Not to mention, that this also violates privacy, or potentially any rights and liberties a person may have. And, to bring to further light, who would be the ones to decide what is for the good of the people? Much like ICANN is currently on U.S soil; would this newly re-engineered Internet be also controlled by the United States?  If the infrastructure of the Internet is re-sown, the culture that currently exists within it would also be forced to change. Culture within the Internet has been in many ways moulded by which code and structure have dictated, and thus, by re-engineering the way the Internet works – it may also create a culture shift, or may begin to dictate how things should be. Cultivation would then become part ownership of the government, and for them to deem how to grow it. As people, the feeling of rights and liberties seems to diminish, and give rights to government, as “National security,” is at state. Yes the online security would increase… but for whom?

Additional links

• Mike McConnell on how to win the cyber-war we’re losing <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022502493.html?sid=ST2010022502680>