Cyber. Security

Respond …. Agree or disagree … 100 min word

The federal government can shut down the internet if it borders on national security. Many developing countries with autocratic government especially in Africa keep shut down social medias and different websites every so often. Recently in Zimbabwe, the government blocked social media following demonstrations over an increase in gas prices. It argued that the ban was because the platforms were being used to coordinate violence. Similar shutdowns are becoming common in Africa. In 2019 alone, there have been shutdowns in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Chad, Sudan and Zimbabwe. According to a report by AlertNet, there were 21 internet related shutdowns on the continent in 2018. This was the case in Togo, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Ethiopia, among others. They often claim that internet access is blocked in the interest of public security and order.

According to Menn, Finkle & Volz (2016), cybercriminals used hundreds of thousands of internet-connected devices that had previously been infected with a malicious code to disrupt major websites and it became inaccessible to people across the globe after a company that manages crucial parts of the internet’s infrastructure said it was under attack. Users reported sporadic problems reaching several websites, including Twitter, Netflix, Spotify, Airbnb, Reddit, Etsy, SoundCloud and The New York Times.

                                       Reference

Menn, J., Finkle, J. & Volz D. (2016). Cyber-attacks disrupt PayPal, Twitter, other sites. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber/cyber-attacks-disrupt-paypal-twitter-other-sites-idUSKCN12L1ME