Is It Possible To Destroy The Internet?

[ReBrawl 0]

I don't think the internet can be destroyed.Well.. actually it can be, but then, every harddisk, every Internet service provider, everyone who is connected including their pc's, every mobile phone on earth (Since you can go on internet with those too, just look at the iPhone) and every server pc, well almost anything related to computers that has some memory or some connection should be destroyed.I don't think it's gonna happen.Maybe by magic? Naaah..I Think It's inpossible.... Well it's possible .. but I think it's inpossible for us to do the above thing.-ReBrawl

[rayzoredge 2]

The Internet is made of tubes. So if you kill every plumber in the world and demolish every sense and existence of plumbing... Branching from the joke, that IS the key to killing the Internet: connectivity. The Internet is basically a massive global network of servers and clients. If you take down the medium that holds them all together: the fiber optics, the cables, the microwave dishes, the satellites, and all the sites that deal with those mediums, no one would be able to connect to each other, which is the essence of the Internet (connectivity).What we know as the Internet is commonly misconstrued as the "world wide web," or what we see on the screen. But as I've said, if you remove any sort of connectivity option from every computer, every cell phone, or really, any device, any form of a network would cease to exist. You would not be able to dial/connect to your ISP, which gives you an IP address to identify yourself as a client to the Internet network, which means that you cannot send or request data through the non-existing network to servers across the world or even any servers or peer client machines right next to you.So yes, it is possible. But in all reality, since we have such a dependency on being connected with each other, there would be no real incentive (unless there were radical extremist groups planning on returning an aspect of "normalcy" or for whatever cause it would support), and there isn't any easy way to do it... which would make it near impossible.

[emim 0]

I have a few points to make. i go to high school and i take a few computer classes and we HAVE to use digital portfolio. one of my friends logged in as an administrator and blocked every sight visited in the last 24 hours before hand. he got arrested but we were completely unable to get on the digiport web sight or any other web sight for a week. every web browser now seems to have the feature to block sights so how hard would it be for someone to make a virus that blocks every sight you have on your history without you being able to fix it? also not every web sight would have to be blocked, only 15 id bet. shutting down 15 pages that way could cause enough people to get angry that the average person doesn't wont use it. then it would become something only used by the workers.what web pages would have to be blocked tho, google, hotmail(email), socail networking,youtube all come to mind.

[KainRacure 0]

Anyone ever see die hard 4? The same concept used in that movie by the bad guys CAN potentially be applied to the internet, HOWEVER it would have to be a much larger scale. The major problem would be that you could only do it in 1 country at a time unless you had a very large organized groups that had some form of communication and perfect synchronization.Remember that even tho the internet started in the USA it has spread to almost every country in the world, each with their own set up. Honestly though the internet could be as simple as 2 or more computers and a server. A LAN is actually a basic form of the internet. So It would be a tall order to destroy the whole thing.

[csp4.0 1]

You cannot possibly destroy the internet, but you can disable it... for a short while...Lets not think of it as a virus, lets think of it as ...ah ...ah malicious code... ah... weaponized algorithm...All you need is a capable weaponized algorithm, you start off with one computer, it sends the weaponized algorithm disguised as friendly traffic... ah... lets just say... infects packets of data travelling towards the target computer, slowly and steady the weaponized algorithm materializes inside the target computer, undetected... Once fully materialized, the weaponized algorithm will activate itself, but won't do anything yet! It will multiply and infect out going traffic packets, slowly re-integrating on the other side, it will then materialize onto the next target and so on... Once the weaponized algorithm reached google's servers the world is doomed... Once it reaches microsoft's servers the people with computers using microsoft are doomed... Once the weaponized algorithm infects every computer connected to the internet, the make of the virus can then maybe, embed itself into the BIOS of the computer/s, embed itself into the MBR, making it effectively invulnerable for the time being... All the computers connected to the internet would reboot as a result of that, and the real devastation would begin... On command the weaponized algorithm would activate and continuously upload/download between servers jamming and overloading the connections between the servers, effectively DoSing every computer connected to the internet, this would keep happening until the people who own the computers shut them down, buy entirely new servers/computers, because of the infected BIOS and/or MBR, and the virus would be erased from the internet, all it takes is for the maker of the weaponized algorithm to reset and re-initialize... Soon however they will make a "firewall" that would block the weaponized algorithm and end it's rein of terror, but then someone will make another based on its code and the devastation will begin... again...

[r0b-dog 0]

Actually, while it may not be possible to remove the internet, it is possible to create a way to stop people from using it.
Have you heard of, "Digital Doomsday"? This is a theory that, what with all the internet hackers getting smarter every day, soon someone will have figured out a way to send a powerful virus to everyone connected to the internet, with the ability to permanently jam the connections. This basically will make the internet useless, which is just as bad as destroying it, really.

i just laugh and somehow cry if hackers decide to hack the internet and destroy the internet, but i would laugh at they stupidy to hack the net and destroy.. and how else they will contuine they hacking work.

but without internet it will suck, but at least "Technology" wont die

[hitmanblood 0]

The point is in this discussion as I have probably already mentioned in some other post of mine more about semantics. Since we are all talking about destruction of the internet, and that is OK. However some of you are talking about destruction of the internet in the sens of viruses produced from hackers companies that produce antiviral software governments and so on. And some of you are talking about hardware like fiber optics microwave dishes and so on. So the point here is to express your opinion in the right way otherwise we will go on and on, and no one would be able to find the right answer someone might write good thing and then someone else comes and says it cannot be destroyed. My point is that everything human has mad human can destroy. And this has proven several times over history and in fact troughout history when people were talking this cannot be destroyed and so on. Eventually human find a way.Now on the topic again.So hardware I will repeat this once more hardware can be destroyed in the sens that you would explode nuclear bomb on certain high that would as repercussion produce EMP pulse or more correct electro magnetic pulse. And this would destroy all electronics equipment in reach that is all electronics equipment with integrated board. I had once opportunity to see simulation in which EMP pulse would destroy all technology in the North America. Also I would use this opportunity to note that anyone interested in similar science fiction post apocalyptic stories should watch Jericho television series from CBS. And onther important thing is to destroy internet backbone. You do not have to destroy real every single fiber optics and server in the world you may destroy just internet backbone and it will prove as enough to prevent internet from working on the international and essentially world bases. Some local and localized networks might work. However they wouldn't have connection to the outter world :lol:Now the other important question is about software and this might prove more difficult. Since it would require much more knowledge and much more preparations. Why? Well simple fact comes from the point that internet is made from computers that function on different perating systems and the one thaa t woud like to destroy internet or make it unworkable should be able to write cross platform virus and this is really hard in the essence probably for the next few years impossible.This is all for now. But nontheless this is really interesting discussion.

[EngrJayze 0]

i don't think that they can destroy the internet.. powerful countries will not allow it.. and lastly, if they destroy the internet what will they get in the first place?.. destroying it makes no sense at all.. at least on my own opinion

[hitmanblood 0]

i don't think that they can destroy the internet.. powerful countries will not allow it.. and lastly, if they destroy the internet what will they get in the first place?.. destroying it makes no sense at all.. at least on my own opinion

Well you should set up your case in a bit smarter way that is in the more explanatory way. It depends who would like to destroy internet since many contries will gain by destroying or at least blocking something.

 

The point I would like to explain here is somewhat connected to the basic theory of economy and it is actually economy problem studying the gain from certain action. So the thing is that government of certain country. I will take here to examples mainly United States and let's say Jordan. Since I assume Jordan has not so much influence from the internet and internet based companies and further on. And it is well known fact that they had some connections to the terrorist activities. (Please not that this is just example and do not discuss any further this as this topic oughts to be connected only to destruction of internet.)

 

So let's say they weight their options out and figure out that they would be able to harm western world more in case of destroying or better to say disabling New York's Stock Trading Market (commonly known as Wall Street.) So Jordan decides to harm western world harm economy and so on and finances terrorist group to organize cells and works from underground to disable the Wall Street.

 

Now we have target (United States of America) and we have financial source (some stash funds of Jordan) and we have people to do job some angry terrorists who would like to harm wester civilization and way of life (terrorist group) and we have also more specific target (Wall Stree). And I forgot to mention reason (harming western way of life). This fulfills all the reasons why would someone like to do this. Now let's continue and work some feasible plan that this group could do.

 

Let's say New York and Wall Street dependencies. New York needs interruptible power supply at least Wall Street needs it. Then they need the same internet connection to the internet.

 

One way to kill these two needs is to attack heavily secured systems. Which is problematic needs a lot more planning and furthermore it may be impossible after 9/11.

 

On the other hand they could attack systems that are not defended however these are of the importance to the working of the other systems. So let's say they would kill several electrical (hhmmm, I have figured that I cannot remember this word in English so I will describe it: you have these electrical connections on the columns (polls) that are used for transferring electrical power from power plants. Hopefully it was clear enough.) The point is they would bomb several of these and hamper power supply. Then they would set several bomb all over the city. That would explode and they would send someone of them to go to certain location where he would certainly be caught and then when someone would question him he would give targets like some important buildings and one of them would be Wall Street. No one would risk that so they would have to close it. However since Wall Street is able to function remotely that is you can access all the information over the internet. They would have to hamper internet servers or something. So hampering power supply is already really good blow. Now there they could cut some cables this is really accessible system and can be done simulationusly.

 

this would further traffic bandwidth rates and harm it.

 

Now then I have one problem how would they kill satellite uplink this would be really hard if you have considered that Wall Street is highly protected.

 

So the point is that it can be done via third grade systems and it would certainly bring havoc in the business world.

 

Furthermore, this can be done on the larger scale with cutting out continents since bandwidth between continents and many countries is still highly dependent on the optical cables. And if one would cut optical cables between continents bandwidth rates would be cutted down really fast. Disabling the processing and passing of the informations.

 

One more please don't discuss terrorist this was just example that it can be done on small scale. And in the end I have provided idea about larger scale.

[tricky77puzzle 0]

Well you should set up your case in a bit smarter way that is in the more explanatory way. It depends who would like to destroy internet since many contries will gain by destroying or at least blocking something.

 

The point I would like to explain here is somewhat connected to the basic theory of economy and it is actually economy problem studying the gain from certain action. So the thing is that government of certain country. I will take here to examples mainly United States and let's say Jordan. Since I assume Jordan has not so much influence from the internet and internet based companies and further on. And it is well known fact that they had some connections to the terrorist activities. (Please not that this is just example and do not discuss any further this as this topic oughts to be connected only to destruction of internet.)

 

So let's say they weight their options out and figure out that they would be able to harm western world more in case of destroying or better to say disabling New York's Stock Trading Market (commonly known as Wall Street.) So Jordan decides to harm western world harm economy and so on and finances terrorist group to organize cells and works from underground to disable the Wall Street.

 

Now we have target (United States of America) and we have financial source (some stash funds of Jordan) and we have people to do job some angry terrorists who would like to harm wester civilization and way of life (terrorist group) and we have also more specific target (Wall Stree). And I forgot to mention reason (harming western way of life). This fulfills all the reasons why would someone like to do this. Now let's continue and work some feasible plan that this group could do.

 

Let's say New York and Wall Street dependencies. New York needs interruptible power supply at least Wall Street needs it. Then they need the same internet connection to the internet.

 

One way to kill these two needs is to attack heavily secured systems. Which is problematic needs a lot more planning and furthermore it may be impossible after 9/11.

 

On the other hand they could attack systems that are not defended however these are of the importance to the working of the other systems. So let's say they would kill several electrical (hhmmm, I have figured that I cannot remember this word in English so I will describe it: you have these electrical connections on the columns (polls) that are used for transferring electrical power from power plants. Hopefully it was clear enough.) The point is they would bomb several of these and hamper power supply. Then they would set several bomb all over the city. That would explode and they would send someone of them to go to certain location where he would certainly be caught and then when someone would question him he would give targets like some important buildings and one of them would be Wall Street. No one would risk that so they would have to close it. However since Wall Street is able to function remotely that is you can access all the information over the internet. They would have to hamper internet servers or something. So hampering power supply is already really good blow. Now there they could cut some cables this is really accessible system and can be done simulationusly.

 

this would further traffic bandwidth rates and harm it.

 

Now then I have one problem how would they kill satellite uplink this would be really hard if you have considered that Wall Street is highly protected.

 

So the point is that it can be done via third grade systems and it would certainly bring havoc in the business world.

 

Furthermore, this can be done on the larger scale with cutting out continents since bandwidth between continents and many countries is still highly dependent on the optical cables. And if one would cut optical cables between continents bandwidth rates would be cutted down really fast. Disabling the processing and passing of the informations.

 

One more please don't discuss terrorist this was just example that it can be done on small scale. And in the end I have provided idea about larger scale.

You know, it actually would be possible to storm the Internet by creating an AI worm that could find its way through anything; even heavily secured systems. It would just change its digital signature while hacking other people's computers and changing its source address every time. Most residential computers are quite vulnerable to highly advanced attacks, so if the worm developed itself into a (Okay, I admit it; I'm getting my ideas from the "Rockman.EXE" series) massive system of servers, where all the computers it infects are out of the user's control, then the Internet really would be shut down for... about 4 days.

 

Here would be the requirements for such a massive attack:

 

A completely unique operating system that is not derived from Windows. (You can't use Linux or anything because those operating systems are not customized, and you can't use Windows because it's uncustomizable.) You could derive it from UNIX because it's open source...

 

A very good AI system would be needed, for sure. The current capacities for computers today would not be able to fit the requirement for this AI, because the management system would have to be decentralized. The worm would have to be self-executing, and it would have to be able to make copies of itself, all while transmitting data to the original servers wherever the terrorist group is hosted (Argh. I mean, "is situated"...) Of course, there would have to be more than one type of worm. Also, to be able to communicate with other worms that it works with (Remember that this terrorist attack doesn't shut down the servers immediately.) to work on cracking encryption for the main servers would take a helluva long time as well. Remember, that a small percentage (perhaps 10 to 20%) of all the computers are working on brute-forcing the highly-secured systems.

[Echo_of_thunder 1]

Destorying the net? Thats like the old cartoon of the guy that was on the net one day, and found the page. "You have now reached the end of the internet." It would be so hard to take down all the servers that hold the net. then you have to think of the old BBS systems. "back before the net, when we all used dialup to call one PC to another" They would not only have to take out the web but also the phone lines too.

[tricky77puzzle 0]

Destorying the net? Thats like the old cartoon of the guy that was on the net one day, and found the page. "You have now reached the end of the internet." It would be so hard to take down all the servers that hold the net. then you have to think of the old BBS systems. "back before the net, when we all used dialup to call one PC to another" They would not only have to take out the web but also the phone lines too.

Well, that's easy. Just deploy a few satellites and give everyone 4200-MHz tinnitus (In other words, emit an inaudible signal that phone lines will pick up and mistake for messages). The phone lines will all be jammed. Of course, it would be a huge setback if all the servers were shut down, anyway... but like I said, that giant terrorism method I was talking about lasts for about 4 days. There's no possible way to shut down the Internet completely.

[hitmanblood 0]

I most certainly do agree with the. tricky77 I think also that it is possible. And I almost completly agree with the first post.However I am writing this to regard the second post about mobile and telephone companies and servers. The point here is that everything is not digitalized and such advanced worm might also overtake control of the servers and command centers or hwo they call it digital headquarters. Then it would be really easy when worm would get its way into those servers to control all the traffic coming in and out. Effectively harming telephone network and owner companies. This is really big problem and it occurred several times up to today. However why is it so hard to do it. Since usually those are isolated systems and hardly reachable trough network of all networks that is the main reason why it is hard to do such thing. Now question is how to come back after such attack that will harm economy and almost evenrything and natural functioning of certain country. I like this topic it is really creative and people are writing friendly. Waiting for reply.

[bobbybans 0]

There is no way to destroy internet. There are a millions of internet service providers and there are millions of web servers. That is just impossible. That's my opinion. And if that happens there would be a new internet.Regards.

[longtimeago 0]

May be if the earth is destroyed then the internet is destroyed , else there is no way of destroying the internet . This is simply because internet is not centralized or in other words no one is the owner of the internet. Internet is a distributed system.You and i are a part of this distributed system, and so others.If you see the evolution of the internet , internet did not evolve over night , it started in the US army where there was a need for 2 systems to talk with each other so they decided to find a way and they accomplished it.It slowly grew up and today it is the INTERNET. As the term says internet is a collection of networks, so if all these collection destroy themselves then only the internet is destroyed