New shield foiled Internet backbone attack

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Unfortunately this IS a National Security issue

The health of the Internet IS a National Security issue. Losing it for even a day would have severe economic consequences. (This is one reason that giving the backbone Name Servers to the United Nations is such a horrible idea).

There hasn't been enough information released about this attack to really see what the motivation of the attackers was. Certainly it may have been a scaled-down test to check out how effective a full scale attack might be.

If a "Digital Pearl Harbor" should take place, and the backbone servers fall under sustained attack, then the US government is likely to step in and make it illegal to run a PC that's been compromised by a BotNet.

This is not likely to be an optimal solution. Government solutions tend not to be. If we're lucky it may solve the problem. But it will probably tend to be done incompetently, overreach into areas it shouldn't, and so forth.

One way to see what it'll be like if the Government does it is:
Look at the history of the RIAA (Recording Industry) and MPAA (Motion Pictures) getting incredibly over-reaching draconian laws passed, such as the DMCA, and filing lawsuits en masse against people who *might* have been sharing files, and you can see a Government Solution In Action. Frankly, the DMCA prevents student education about computers and is being misused in a napalm-like fashion. Only recently have people who have been sued for ridiculous reasons even been able to win attorney's fees back.

Why haven't the big ISP's stepped in and shut down the BotNets? Hello, Comcast Cable? Hello, MSN DSL? Hello, Qwest DSL? RoadRunner?

The BotNet traffic has to be exceedingly obvious, especially from an attack. How come you're not turning off BotNet computer connections and generating letters saying, "Until you clean the virus off your computer, you're not going to be reconnected."

Do these ISPs really think that saving a few dollars today is going to be worth the BIGtime money the government is going to force them to spend? Just imagine all the new paperwork, for example, to certify a new user connection is BotLess. Five copies, please. And be sure to CC: the Department of Homeland Security.

This is such an easy prediction to make. All you have to do is assume that the ISP's will continue to do the same thing they've been doing (pretty much The Peter Principle) and that the derfs who run the BotNets will continue to run wilder and wilder attacks.

Thanks,

Dave

Posted by: davetracer@...   Posted on: 03/12/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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