Someone Is Learning How to Take Down the Internet • Hacker News Board

Re: Someone Is Learning How to Take Down the Internet

#141

Post by wtracy » Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 10:57 PM UTC

rantanplan wrote: post #121

wtracy wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on exactly what services Schneier is talking about here, but an awful lot of the infrastructure of the internet is hosted in countries that the US armed forces have easy physical access to. Even if a cyber attack were the "plan a" for quickly and untraceably taking those systems out, the US has an easy enough "plan b" that testing "plan a" isn't going to be a major concern. Add that to the fact that the US…

> Add that to the fact that the US has a lot more to lose if it gets caught attacking internet infrastructure than China and friends do (even just tests like this) and I would be surprised (honestly not shocked, but definitely surprised) if the USA is behind these shenanigans. So can you give me the address of the rock you've been living under for the past 3 years?

No, but maybe you can share some of the evidence you apparently have that the United States is actively trying to sabotage the world's communication infrastructure?

Sure, it throws its weight around when asking various social media platforms to censor certain types of content, and it has a no-holds-barred approach to intercepting data traffic, but it generally draws the line at knocking services entirely offline.

Re: Someone Is Learning How to Take Down the Internet

#142

Post by lucb1e » Sun, Sep 18, 2016, 11:17 PM UTC

linkregister wrote: post #40

Although Schneier is probably correct in this instance, one of the most exasperating features of his computer security writing is an utter lack of citations or evidence to back up his claims. (His writing about cryptography should require no citations because he is an actual crypto expert.) After the significant inaccuracies and frequent unsubstantiated speculation in Schneier on Security , I don't think credible sec…

> To the imminent downvoters, I'm not offended; I expect it with an unpopular opinion

This is the modern way to ask for upvotes.

Ask for upvotes straight out? The community saw it one too many times and doesn't anymore.

Mention you expect downvotes and that it's an unpopular opinion? People agreeing with you, which there almost always are anyway, will show you support while making potential downvoters think twice.

I was going to upvote, but never mind.

Re: Someone Is Learning How to Take Down the Internet

#143

Post by rantanplan » Mon, Sep 19, 2016, 12:02 PM UTC

wtracy wrote: post #141

rantanplan wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Add that to the fact that the US has a lot more to lose if it gets caught attacking internet infrastructure than China and friends do (even just tests like this) and I would be surprised (honestly not shocked, but definitely surprised) if the USA is behind these shenanigans. So can you give me the address of the rock you've been living under for the past 3 years?

No, but maybe you can share some of the evidence you apparently have that the United States is actively trying to sabotage the world's communication infrastructure? Sure, it throws its weight around when asking various social media platforms to censor certain types of content, and it has a no-holds-barred approach to intercepting data traffic, but it generally draws the line at knocking services entirely offline.

It creates, exploits and maintains vulnerabilities in public infrastructure that anyone else(state nation or similar capacity) can take advantage of.

> it generally draws the line at knocking services entirely offline

Well if you're gonna play the card "I'm reading a different Internet than you are", sure whatever.