{"id":41133,"date":"2021-08-12T11:23:18","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T15:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?post_type=emagazine&#038;p=41133"},"modified":"2023-07-06T04:36:41","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T08:36:41","slug":"internet-blackout-event-planning","status":"publish","type":"emagazine","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/internet-blackout-event-planning\/41133\/","title":{"rendered":"What if the internet stops?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ve all fired up our laptop and been stopped in our tracks by an irritating \u2018no internet connection\u2019 message. We\u2019ve fiddled with the router, called our provider or just waited, and all was well. But what if the internet didn\u2019t come back? How would we manage, as people, businesses and nations?<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EbgJFksi-kk?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Internet outages happen. On June 8, 2021, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/technology-57399628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">thousands of websites, including the BBC, New York Times and even the UK government, were offline for up to an hour<\/a>. Millions experienced disruption because of technical issues at US-based internet infrastructure provider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastly.com\/blog\/summary-of-june-8-outage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Fastly, who blamed a configuration error<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"c-promo-product\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/enterprise-security\/national-cybersecurity\" class=\"c-promo-product__figure\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"457\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2021\/08\/09102959\/National_Cybersecurity-1-500x457.png\" class=\"attachment-card-default size-card-default\" alt=\"\" data-src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2021\/08\/09102959\/National_Cybersecurity-1-500x457.png\" data-srcset=\"\" srcset=\"\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"c-card c-card--link c-card--medium@sm c-card--aside-hor@lg\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"c-card__body  \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<header class=\"c-card__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"c-card__headline\">Prevent critical infrastructure attacks<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"c-card__title \"><span>Kaspersky National Cybersecurity<\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/header>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"c-card__desc \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Meeting the most stringent security requirements and ensure supreme protection for critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"c-card__aside\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/enterprise-security\/national-cybersecurity\" class=\"c-button c-card__link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Secure a nation<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic revealed our unpreparedness for a global \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Black_swan_theory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">black swan event<\/a>:\u2019 An unforeseen event with extreme consequences. With everyday life revolving around an internet connection, are we failing to consider and plan for the end of the internet?<\/p>\n<h2>Reliance on the online world<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWe now rely on the internet for everyday tasks, from banking to communicating,\u201d said Matt Shanahan, founder and CEO of independent internet service provider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.streamnetworks.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Stream Networks<\/a>. \u201cBusinesses and society rely financially on the internet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the pandemic, billions were forced to rely on internet connectivity to work. Attitudes to working from home changed overnight. Many now question the need for commuting to physical workplaces, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flexjobs.com\/blog\/post\/companies-switching-remote-work-long-term\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">large employers like Amazon, PayPal and Twitter now adopting permanent work from home arrangements<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While the information connection offers have transformed society, has it dulled the resourcefulness we\u2019d need to get along without it? \u201cThere are many more ways to access the information we need,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Paul-Sant\/2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Dr. Paul Sant<\/a>, Head of School of Computer Science and Technology at University of Bedfordshire. \u201cI think we\u2019ve become tuned to using the internet first and so have lost some information-finding skills.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Back to before the internet?<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/webfoundation.org\/2019\/02\/save-the-date-world-wide-web-turns-30-on-march-12\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">internet\u2019s date of birth is said to be March 12, 1989<\/a>. It\u2019s roughly when computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee proposed a \u2018web\u2019 of hypertext documents, viewed with a \u2018browser.\u2019 Rustic as it was, this was the first working internet. The next three decades saw an information revolution.<\/p>\n<p>If we didn\u2019t have the internet, would we go back to a pre-March 1989 technological world?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>While critical infrastructure is generally equipped to be resilient in these cases, much of the logistics and operational tooling isn\u2019t. A widespread, long-term blackout would likely mean real issues.<\/p>\n<cite><p>Justin Bingham, Chief Technology Officer, Janeiro Digital<\/p><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<p>Bingham continues, \u201cWe\u2019ll likely see the greatest impact in commerce. Most of our economy uses the internet to transact business. We may have serious problems making or receiving payments, online or in-person. That can have severe economic ramifications.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David Savage is Group Executive Chairman at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.excelerate-group.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Excelerate Technology<\/a>, a firm that provides resiliency support for businesses and emergency services if an internet blackout happens. \u201cWhat matters for our clients is to have internet, or \u2018always on\u2019 connectivity, where coverage is low or non-existent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmergency services vehicles must use multiple networks for a reliable internet connection, known as hybrid connectivity. Hybrid connectivity lets the user and on-board devices connect to the internet over cellular, satellite WIFI or any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Planning for internet blackouts<\/h2>\n<p>Fastly\u2019s June 2021 blackout was, by the company\u2019s admission, a basic mistake. But many nations\u2019 defense systems now integrated with internet connectivity could be a focus for cyber warfare. An armed force could use an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) to knock out its enemy\u2019s power, preventing them logging on. An <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Internet_kill_switch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">\u2018internet kill switch\u2019<\/a> has become a topic of discussion for many governments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhether it\u2019s an EMP blast, a fire or a terrorist attack on infrastructure, the risks go beyond just that of internet connectivity. It could cut off society,\u201d says Savage. \u201cFire caused this scenario in a small town in Australia: People couldn\u2019t communicate, withdraw cash or fill up with fuel because payment systems were down.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Some sectors already realize the dangers of an accidental or deliberate internet blackout. In the marine sector, thousands of cargo, passenger and defense vessels now rely on satellite connectivity.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Clive Evans, Chair of the Professional and Technical Forum for merchant navy union <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nautilusint.org\/en\/news-insight\/telegraph\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Nautilus International<\/a>, wrote: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nautilusint.org\/en\/news-insight\/news\/calls-grow-for-terrestrial-back-up-plans-in-case-of-satellite-failure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">There doesn\u2019t seem to be any fall back for ships at sea, in the event of no satellites and any warlike operations<\/a> \u2026 The [UK] government seems to let this slip. If they don\u2019t do something about this, there could be communications blackouts with ships.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an area where Savage and his team provide additional support. His firm provides internet resilience for coastguards and other emergency services along the Dorset coast in Southeast England as part of a UK government-funded project.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt involves \u2018smart buoys\u2019 that can monitor sea and surf conditions, digital signage giving real-time safety information to the public and a network for first responders, lifeboats and Coast Guard in areas that would normally be without connectivity,\u201d explains Savage.<\/p>\n<h2>AI keeping businesses online<\/h2>\n<p>Cybersecurity has become a big part of business risk management. Protecting a business online means more than restricting unauthorized access: Keeping a business operational.<\/p>\n<p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a way to keep businesses working. \u201cThe major innovation in internet infrastructure is using AI to detect and protect networks from long-term outages. It\u2019s an exciting area of development,\u201d said Stream Networks\u2019 Shanahan.<\/p>\n<p>Shanahan explains how Stream is using AI to give business users a more reliable service. \u201cAI can automatically re-route application traffic along back-up paths if a primary path is unresponsive. The potential is huge in pre-empting, detecting and fixing everything from human error to cyberattacks to faults in core infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Invisible until it stops<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/research-information.bris.ac.uk\/en\/persons\/emmanouil-tranos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Dr. Emmanouil Tranos<\/a>, Reader in quantitative human geography at University of Bristol, has studied the impact the internet has on society. He points out how infrastructure is invisible until it stops working. \u201cWe could have had the same discussion years ago about aviation. It was taken as a given that aviation was working \u2013 then an <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2010_eruptions_of_Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Icelandic volcano erupted in 2010, grounding all flights in Europe<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If the internet stops, life goes on. There are communities and whole cities around the world with little to no internet connectivity. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/ethiopia-digital-transformation-strategy\/39783\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Just 19 percent of people in Ethiopia have internet access<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But generations who grew up with this technology may not know a life without it and could be vulnerable. Dr. Sant argues, \u201cWe need to improve awareness and reduce reliance on one way of accessing and finding information. We should be teaching youngsters to be fault-tolerant: There is more than one way of finding information, so teaching to look for alternative sources, so they\u2019re not subject to a single-point-of-failure, would be beneficial.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A world without the internet may sound novel or even bizarre, but it\u2019s worth considering. And it\u2019s worth considering before such a \u2018black swan\u2019 blackout happens \u2013 when we cannot Google the answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019re reliant on the internet for everything. But could it one day just stop? Some are planning for a \u2018black swan\u2019 internet blackout event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":41134,"template":"","coauthors":[4153],"class_list":{"0":"post-41133","1":"emagazine","2":"type-emagazine","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"emagazine-category-emerging-tech","7":"emagazine-category-leadership","8":"emagazine-category-remote-working","9":"emagazine-tag-infrastructure","10":"emagazine-tag-safety-technologies"},"hreflang":[{"hreflang":"x-default","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/internet-blackout-event-planning\/41133\/"},{"hreflang":"en-us","url":"https:\/\/usa.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/internet-blackout-event-planning\/25220\/"}],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/emagazine\/41133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/emagazine"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/emagazine"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=41133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}