The Democrat controlled Congress is drafting a bill that will give President Obama the power to disconnect private computers from the internet. The current bill allows the President to seize private computer networks in the event of a cyber security emergency. This bill provides a vehicle to which the government can wield control over private and public property.

This bill currently lets the government declare a cyber security emergency toward non-government networks, which then allows the government the legal right to seize the network. For example, Company A has a computer network; the government decides that for whatever reason that network is suffers a security emergency; the government can now come in and seize control…supposedly to manage the crises. The term cyber security emergency is so poorly described, it can pretty much be anything; spam emails for instances.
Most importantly, the government should be the last entity to preach cyber security. Across the board, federal agencies have received a grade average of D+ for their cyber security readiness from the House Committee on Government Reform (Congress). The government failed themselves when it comes to cyber security, yet they should have the power to seize networks and manage cyber security?

The bill also creates a Government certification for cyber security professionals. Some employees who work on private networks would be required to get this certificate. But again, to highlight the point above, the government has proven itself incapable of managing cyber security issues. It would be like a basketball player teaching a tennis player how to play tennis.

The bill goes on to allow the Government to control Internet Service Providers (ISP’s). These ISP are the ones that hook me and you up to the internet, do you want the Federal Government in control of your access to the internet?

This bill is supposed to protect critical infrastructure in the event of a cyber attack. The bill however is drafted so vaguely, it effectively allows the President to disconnect individuals from the internet, choke off freedom of speech on the internet, and allow seizure of private property. This bill at best, needs to undergo heavy redrafting. It was absurd in the first place the bill was drafted this way. This bill, proposed by Democratic Sen. Rockefeller is meant to give the government more control of private property and increased regulation on the American People.

Before the Federal Government can speak with authority regarding cyber security, they have to demonstrate their capability in protecting government networks. To this point, they have failed to do so. The Government should be more concerned with cleaning up their own networks, before telling us how to manage ours.