So, here are some guesses as to what voluntary will mean:
Do you want to login to your bank? You’ll need your trusted credentials for that.
Online trading account? You’ll need your trusted credentials for that.
Book an airline ticket? You’ll need your trusted credentials for that.
Sign up for Internet service? You’ll need your trusted credentials for that.
It’s voluntary. Trust us.
—White House Calls for ‘Trusted’ Internet Identities for Americans
This article makes ridiculous assumptions; first, that users of the current implementation of the Internet are somehow ‘anonymous’, and second, that the U.S. doesn’t conduct deep packet inspection of Internet traffic because it’s illegal.
On this anonymity that we supposedly enjoy, see the ancient but sill relevant:Ugly Truth About Online Anonymity.
As for the U.S. not conducting deep packet inspection, see any of the several Cryptogon posts about Mark Klein and the Narus Insight system.
Via: NextGov:
The United States may seriously want to consider creating a new Internet infrastructure to reduce the threat of cyberattacks, said Michael Hayden, President George W. Bush’s CIA director.
Several current federal officials, including U.S. Cyber Command chief Gen. Keith Alexander, also have floated the concept of a “.secure” network for critical services such as banking that would be walled off from the public Web.Unlike .com, .xxx and other new domains now proliferating the Internet, .secure would require visitors to use certified credentials for entry and would do away with users’ Fourth Amendment rights to privacy. Network operators in the financial sector, for example, would be authorized to scan account holders’ traffic content for signs of trouble. The current Internet setup would remain intact for people who prefer to stay anonymous on the Web.
