Roundtable Wrap-Up: RT 3-Tuesday

In the first discussion, the roundtable focused on the future of the Internet as a weapon. The general consensus was that as of now, the majority of the world’s population does not have a definite interest in the security of the Internet. It is something that most people take for granted because nothing has happened yet that has shaken their core. The delegates stated that there will be an event that will “drastically change the minds of everyone,” such as an virtual attack on the Stock Exchange or personal bank accounts.

Another topic was the connection between the perpetrators of this virtual attack and various terrorist groups. Most terrorist groups would be focused on a certain political end state, while the hackers would mostly be focused on the economic value of their actions.

I believe one of the most interesting comments that was made was the idea that individuals should be held responsible for the actions of their computers. This particular stance was taken because, if individuals are held responsible for their actions at home by their neighbors, why shouldn’t the Internet and computers be viewed in the same light? The only problem with this particular viewpoint is that it brings into question the topic of who governs the Internet. This broad topic was followed by questions concerning the legitimacy of any NGO or government that tries to have control of the Internet.