US bill would prohibit Internet 'kill switch'

New legislation is needed to protect U.S. networks, Collins said. Computer systems in Congress and the U.S. executive branch were attacked 1.8 billion times a month as of early 2010, she noted.

"The threat of a catastrophic cyber attack is real," she said in a statement. "Attacks are happening now."

Experts have questioned whether anyone has the ability to shut down the Internet in the U.S., but the bill makes it "crystal clear" that the president cannot take that action, Collins added.

Grant Gross covers technology and telecom policy in the U.S. government for The IDG News Service. Follow Grant on TwitterTwitter at GrantGross. Grant's e-mail address is grant_gross@idg.com. Alles zu Twitter auf CIO.de