By Greg Mills
Internet insecurity is such an issue with the US Government they are considering adding a new “.secure” main domain to the .com, .info and .gov that we are used to. Even the porno people have .xxx, so why not add a secure domain for the government and other agencies that require better security?
The problem the US Government has is that we in the USA are a nation that is build foundation-ally, upon a constitution that include certain “unalienable rights”. These rights are carefully crafted upon the bill of rights, which includes the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution.
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
This means the heavy handed control of the internet seen in China and Iran won’t fly in the US. China monitors all internet traffic and does what is called “deep packet” inspection, which would require a warrant in the US.
A solution to that would be to create a special internet sandbox called the .secure domain where the rules would be far different than the rest of the internet we are used to. The idea is to be able to freely track and identify each and every user who is on the domain. If you go to .secure you must log in using a secure “certified credential” to gain access. The changes would allow the military, US State Department, White house and other governmental agencies to use the internet and be more secure than the general internet.
It has been suggested that even the banks and banking system might find the new secure area of the internet useful. Fraud and all manor of mischief is done using insecure internet connections as it stands now.
A more detailed account of the proposal can be found at http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/former-cia-director-build-a-new-internet-to-improve-cybersecurity-20110707
The electronic infrastructure of the United States is certainly at risk. Our electrical grid, dams, air traffic control, power stations, cellular networks, banks, the military and other important features of our system are at risk from electronic attacks.
The Stuxnet attack on Iran’s illegal nuclear program is an example of a governmentally supported computer attack, according to experts. The fear is that such attacks are going to become more common and more sophisticated. The protection of the 4th Amendment must be relaxed to allow the best possible defense of our nations vulnerable internet connected resources.
Creating a .secure internet domain with the stated purposes and posted warnings that the domain is not protected by the 4th Amendment sounds like a great idea to me. The cost of implementing and running it can’t be more than the high cost of the current system, with all its flaws and insecurities. That’s Greg’s Bite