Such authority would purportedly trump all laws to the contrary. Private operators of "critical" computer networks would also have to periodical nform the government of their network infrastructure and make sure their network managers have a new federal license.
More on this obvious nonsense here:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10320096-38.html
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s773/show
http://bytestyle.tv/content/cybersecurity-act-2009-s-773-grants-obama-power-shut-down-internet-ignore-laws (with links from April, when this idead first reared its ugly head)
The draft of S.773 is here:
http://www.politechbot.com/docs/rockefeller.revised.cybersecurity.draft.082709.pdf
According to a summary at http://www.obamabeenlying.com/?p=127, the legislation would (I have not confirmed):
- allow the president to “declare a cybersecurity emergency” in
regards to “non-governmental” networks and do whatever he feels is
necessary;
- establish a federal certification program for “cybersecurity professionals”
- require that some computer systems and
networks in the private sector be managed by people who have been
awarded a federal cybersecurity professional license; and
- authorize the government to engage in
“periodic mapping” of private networks deemed to be "critical", and those
companies “shall share” requested information with the federal
government. “Cyber” is defined as anything having to do with the
Internet, telecommunications, computers, or computer networks.
Say hello to Big Brother.
I`m disposed to wonder (1) How would a Patriot act (thanks, Republicans for helping to pave the way for this!), in the face of such legislation and (2) how it is that anyone would think that the government could do a better job of defending private networks (and information) from cyber attacks than those who build and maintain such networks for their own business purposes, and who have legal obligations to protect their customer`s information?