Feds may shut down the internet for many on March 8th

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Feds may shut down the internet for many on March 8th

Sgt_Kickaxe

3:30 am on Feb 17, 2012 (gmt 0)

[news.yahoo.com...]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation may soon be forced to shut down a number of key Domain Name System (DNS) servers, which would cut Internet access for millions of Web users around the world, reports BetaBeat. The DNS servers were installed by the FBI last year, in an effort to stop the spread of a piece of malware known as DNSCharger Trojan. But the court order that allowed the set up of the replacement servers expires on March 8.

Unfortunately, DNSCharger is still running on computers “at half of the Fortune 500 companies,” and at “27 out of 55 major government entities,” reports cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs.

Somehow I think they have enough advance warning to avoid a major shutdown but the fact it's not settled yet is unsettling in and of itself. Great planning here.

lucy24

4:37 am on Feb 17, 2012 (gmt 0)

Oh, lord, it's Y2K all over again. No win. If you take care of everything, people sneer and say the problem never existed. If you don't take care of everything... there's a problem.

Sgt_Kickaxe

5:44 am on Feb 17, 2012 (gmt 0)

Actually winning just required better planning, and now it requires not shutting down the internet for millions :)

This isn't an unknown quantity so it's not like Y2K in my opinion. The feds know they need to turn off servers and know that might impact millions of people but, as of this moment, they don't have a solution and March 8th is fast approaching.