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Shut Down The World Wide Web?

Shut Down The World Wide Web?

Is it possible for someone to Shut Down The World Wide Web?

Web Wide World The Shut

I do not think an individual could do that alone. It would take a world wide effort. First off the World Wide Web is made up of millions of networks. So if one were to attempt to shut it down then they would have to attack each network, which in iteslf would cause a 'shut down' to those users within that network of the the World Wide Web, but really the WWW itself still runs. The other thing is what actually brings the data: satellites, fiber optic cables running below the sea and so forth - all of those would have to be disconnected. Really - it is an impossible task, plus there are different WWWs, for instance I believe the US military runs its own.

Shut Down The World Wide Web? Gaming Video & Issues Computer

The web and the internet aren't the same. The 'web' is just a protocol for transferring data between computers, on the internet.

The only way that you could take the web down would be to make a virus that could attack all web servers, no matter what software they're using

Now about the INTERNET. Unlikely. The internet is a massive data routing system that consists of many interconnecting nodes. The thing about routers, which the core of the internet uses some heavy duty stuff, is they all communicated with each other. If one goes down, the routers by it will realize then, and begin to find the quickest route around it. Even if you destroy all nodes in the middle of the US, the routers around the edges of the east, west, north, and south will begin to re-route traffic around the rest of the world. So if you were on the east coast, and wanted to connect to a computer on the west coast, with all the nodes in the middle of the US down, the data would go across the ocean pipelines, around to the nodes in the UK, China, Russia, across the other ocean, and into it's intended destination, the west coast.

The internet is all about redundancy. Sure there would be a lot of downtime is such an event were to happen, but the internet as a whole would adapt.

Message Edited... Persephone: Please use uppercase letters as appropriate.

Web Wide World The Shut

That would be difficult to do considering the vast amount of operating systems running the web. From BSD, Linux, and Windows, there are to many to take out with one virus. Code Red was made to take out web servers yet it didn't make much of a dent. I don't know that at this point there is a way to really take out the web. The internet would require ten backbone fiber lines and their respect backup lines, and the backups to those backups. These main lines are controlled by the likes of Sprint, AT&T, and other large carries and run on huge Cisco and Nortel Routers and switches places in so many area's that it is virtually impossible to take down the internet in one country, never mind the whole world.

Web Wide World The Shut

The only conceivable way I know of would be to make a virus to attack the routers. From what I understand there was an exploit in Cicso routers a while ago, but I think they fixed it. The most plausible thing that could take the internet down would be a huge electromagnetic pulse, ether from the sun, or from a future weapon (from what I understand, there are current weapons that could achieve such thing). If this happens, then the internet would be the least of our problems. All electronics would be destroyed. The devastation would be disturbing.

Edited: Uranium235 on 29th Nov, 2007 - 12:18am

Shut Down The World Wide Web?

There was a virus that attacked the routers not too long ago. But they can't effect every router and they have some of the best security so that it just switched over to some Nortel routers, which weren't effected. A magnetic pulse, large enough to effect huge regions of the US could conceivably work. That would be very scary because it would effect so much more.

Shut The World Wide Web

Anything is possible, but this one would a formidable task taking people in every country and every network and every ISP all with the same aim.

Shut The World Wide Web Computer Issues & Video Gaming

I have read about EMP-electromagnetic pulses--could that cause major problems or even a shut down?

I am still trying to research and find out more about them. I have come across it at least twice in books that portray that idea.