White House to propose system for broad internet monitoring
Posted on 20/12/02 11:57 by Dennis                             
White House to propose system for broad internet monitoring

FlyingDutchman used our newssubmit to tell us that according to the New York Times website, the Bush administration is planning the following proposition;

Internet Service Providers should help build a centralized system to enable broad monitoring of the Internet and, potentially, surveillance of its users:


The proposal is part of a final version of a report, "The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace," set for release early next year, according to several people who have been briefed on the report. It is a component of the effort to increase national security after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board is preparing the report, and it is intended to create public and private cooperation to regulate and defend the national computer networks, not only from everyday hazards like viruses but also from terrorist attack. Ultimately the report is intended to provide an Internet strategy for the new Department of Homeland Security.

While the proposal is meant to gauge the overall state of the worldwide network, some officials of Internet companies who have been briefed on the proposal say they worry that such a system could be used to cross the indistinct border between broad monitoring and wiretap.


It will be interesting to see if this proposal has any change of being realized. Not only would it be a technical challenge (since the Internet has thousands of ISPs), ISPs and their customers are bound to be concerned about the privacy implications. Read the complete article here (registration required).

Source: The NY Times

Reactions
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By LRR, Fri 20 Dec 2002 12:44
Another excuse for limiting the freedom of the internet user ... do you really think that there wouldn't have been sept 11 attacks when there would have been broad monitoring, come on that's the worst crap if ever heard. Do you really think B. Laden is using a broadband connection from Afghanistan ? One more time American " leaders ?" are bullsh ...there own people. Land of the free, once long ago in the history books ..Frown
By Guest, Fri 20 Dec 2002 13:09
They just don't get it do they! You CANNOT secure the internet. Whatever they can do to monitor you, there will always be a way round it. And I seriously doubt that terrorists (if they did plan via the net) would use standard ISPs and so on. Plus, how the hell can you possibly monitor the millions of users on the net at once, on every single ISP there is ?! And what if some countries don't want to monitor their users. I somehow doubt that Frenchies would be keen on being monitored on a US system. Sigh 1984, here we come (George Orwell just got the date wrong by about 30 years)
By chsbiking, Fri 20 Dec 2002 13:24
LoL, I actually have 1984 in my car right now. Great book. But scary as hell. Anyway, people need to stop using unencrypted email, chat, and instant messaging. I only browse the web through daisy chained proxy servers as it is. I hope someone starts an Internet group of programmers and hackers that will dedicate themselves to creating an open source email, messaging, and IM application all in one that totally encrypted and is resistant against eavsdropping and man-in-the middle attacks. Without any trusted third party. You can't really trust them. They'll follow the Governments court order before they'll help you out.
By chsbiking, Fri 20 Dec 2002 13:26
Of course a lot of people will say that without a trusted third party that's impossible. But remember, the earth use to be at the center of the galaxy and it was flat too.
By Bane, Fri 20 Dec 2002 13:39
They may not be able to monitor every aspect of internet, but they can certainly monitor the traffic that's running through U.S. ISP's. How? I don't know. If you're naive enough to think that it's not possible, then I guess you also believe the U.S. can't and doesn't already monitor regular telephone converstations for key phrases or 'hot' words.
By swede_242, Fri 20 Dec 2002 16:02
This is absurd. Whoever proposed this is a complete idiot and has little or no understanding of the composition or workings of the Internet. First it's the sheer volume of traffic. No one, and I mean no one, will enjoy sifting throught the logs. Even if they have dedicated switches/routers/general hardware that takes care of keyword filter it would be a huge bottleneck. Then there is the problem of international boundries. How many countries would allow another nation to monitor data communication travelling over the soil... not one! The idea is about as doable as monitoring every single conversation that takes place at any given moment in a country the size of the states... This proposal is brought forth by a bunch of idiots who had to produce something at the end of the year to show that they actually "earned" their salaries and haven't been wasting taxpayer money. Guess that plan failed. I monitor a companies network traffic... trust me it's hard enough to monitor the webtraffic of only of a few hundred people let alone all traffic. // swede_242
By GezusK, Fri 20 Dec 2002 17:00
GezusKGuess the government has forgotten that encryption is available. I guess they can monitor all they want, and catch the terrorist dumb enough not to use it.
By Richteralan, Fri 20 Dec 2002 17:21
what a waste of money.
By Guest, Fri 20 Dec 2002 17:28
Since I live in the US, here is my opinion. 1. If someone is joking with another person on the Internet about some "hot" topic and being monitored without their knowledge, what is to stop the US government from breaking into their homes and taking all their equipment? 2. What if the US government intercepts a "terroristic" threat that they believe is coming from country "A" and the US governemt decides to block all Internet traffic from that country, but it is actually originating from country "B". I believe in America and the rights of freedom, but lately, freedom is defined by what our government understands. If looking at someone's POSTAL mail is illegal, this should be considered the same, or maybe they are going to look at that as well before you get the chance to read it first. The US Government had the chance to stop 9/11 before it happened. They knew it was going to take place and in some odd way, I think they are responsible for it. The economy was going down and they needed something for the American people to rally around and this is what happened. If you don't believe me, take a look at our history. Around every 10 years, the economy takes a slump in one area or another, but then we also have some type of "war" and the government gets the American people behind it. It's also apparent that America is becoming a dictatorship and trying to force other countries to see it "our" way and if they don't, then we place them on our enemies list. It is sad to think that the worst thing that could be done in the governments' eyes was to burn the flag. Now you have to think before you speak.
By DawnLoader, Sat 21 Dec 2002 03:23
I hate to say it but, I agree with TheTarbaby (and rest of the posters). This is the best solution Homeland Security can come up with? This is how our tax money is used? What a bunch of idiots.
By Sherrif, Sat 21 Dec 2002 07:43
To all our american posters...guess this is what happens when only a small percentage of eligible voters vote and politicians are allowed to accept money from self interest groups... G Dubbya Bush is not the man to fear..the shadowy faces with their hand up his arse using him as a finger puppet scare the shit outta me..........:7
By flake, Sat 21 Dec 2002 13:22
The Australian government tried to Censor the net a few years ago. The keyword is TRIED.
By Guest, Sat 21 Dec 2002 13:35
The way to deal with terrorism is to tackle the root causes of it - not to create a totalitarian state. If America does not want to be the target of terrorism, then it should seriously reconsider its foreign policy, and stop using 'terrorism' as an excuse to expand the powers of US law enforcement agencies, or as a justification for empire building and US expansionism in the name of US economic interests. If I was an Iraqi, likely to be the target of a US war for oil in Feb, I would be annoyed about a foreign invader coming to plunder my countries natural resources, irrespective of how evil the current leader may be (Saddam is actually far more moderate than US backed regimes like Saudi). If you'd been ethnically cleansed from your home by a US backed racist terrorist regime like Israel, I'm sure you'd feel compelled to fight back. What seems to have been overlooked is how 'war on terrorism' provides the Bush regime with justification for foreign conquests to install puppet regimes to provide America with cheap oil such as has been done in Afghanistan with former US oil company executive president Karzai, and will likely be done in Iraq, irrespective of international law or UN mandates. The US has always had a ruthless, expansionist, and most definitely terrorist foreign policy. Terrorism breeds terrorism.
By Guest, Sun 22 Dec 2002 17:24
All I know is that this better not be used to track file swappers online. If it is I will be so pissed off!!!! It would be cruel and unusual to try to trace file swappers and punish them!!!!!!!!!
By Guest, Mon 23 Dec 2002 00:27
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