The Future Has a Kill Switch 284
palegray.net writes "Bruce Schneier brings us his perspective on a future filled with kill switches; from OnStar-equipped automobiles and city buses that can be remotely disabled by police to Microsoft's patent-pending ideas regarding so-called Digital Manners Policies. In Schneier's view, these capabilities aren't exactly high points of our potential future. From the article: 'Once we go down this path — giving one device authority over other devices — the security problems start piling up. Who has the authority to limit functionality of my devices, and how do they get that authority? What prevents them from abusing that power? Do I get the ability to override their limitations? In what circumstances, and how? Can they override my override?' We recently discussed the Pentagon's interest in kill switches for airplanes. At what point does centralizing and/or delegating operational authority over so much of our lives become a dangerous practice of its own?"
One small worry- (Score:4, Funny)
Re:What About the Benefits?? (Score:5, Funny)
Wow. You got me there!
Re:Slippery slope (Score:5, Funny)
He described how the kill switch is triggered by the authorities, and how the kill switch, in turn, is a component in a vast collection of kill switches called our formerly free culture.
At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The kill switch is really a flat-out plate of poo supported on the back of a tortoise-like electorate."
The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What are the tortoise standing on?"
"You're very clever, young man, very clever," said the old lady. "But it's turtles all the way down!"
She then showed the security expert the kill switch controlling his pacemaker, and he turned a whiter shade of pale.
(a shameless mooching from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down [wikipedia.org])
Re:The future is bright for DIY projects (Score:2, Funny)
Citizen X, our routine check procedure found that you have illegaly disabled the remote control meant to protect you and other fine citizens of our state from yourself. Will you please help yourself into this correction center?
You know... (Score:5, Funny)
At what point.. (Score:2, Funny)
At what point does centralizing and/or delegating operational authority over so much of our lives become a dangerous practice of its own?
When it can kill your conne%?DE [theregister.co.uk]
NO CARRIER
Does This Remind Anyone Else? (Score:5, Funny)
Seven for the iPhones in the lesser phones,
Nine for OnStar drivers doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of California where the Shadows lie.
One Killswitch to rule them all, One Killswitch to find them,
One Killswitch to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
Re:block on star (Score:5, Funny)
My in-laws live on a rural mountain road with a cell phone tower just across the river. A while back, someone with an Onstar equipped vehicle drove off the road, and down a bank. The brush closed behind them, and their vehicle didn't make any noticeable marks on the side of the road. The ONLY reason the authorities found them was because Onstar told them exactly where to find their car.
The fact that they were drunk, and trying to avoid the authorities is another matter.
Re:You know... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Slippery slope (Score:3, Funny)
"But it's turtles all the way down!"
'All the way down... to what?'
Re:California wanted kill switch in 1990s (Score:2, Funny)
Either that word doesn't mean what you think it means or you're way too into SAE and ISO standards :).
Re:Slippery slope (Score:3, Funny)
'All the way down... to what?'
To the turtles, silly.... ;)
Re:block on star (Score:3, Funny)
Good thing for them they did not hit the cell phone tower. I honestly thought that that's where you were going--if they took out their own only hope of rescue
That would be Wrought Irony -- kind of like regular irony, but a bit twisted.
Not to be confused with Goldy or Bronzy, of course.
Re:Bad query, bad idea (Score:3, Funny)