Preppers plan to save us if the whole internet collapses
14 days ago
- #internet-resilience
- #cybersecurity
- #emergency-preparedness
- Modern societies heavily rely on the internet, and its failure can lead to chaos, as seen in power cuts in Spain and Portugal.
- The Internet Resiliency Club (IRC) is a volunteer group working on plans to reboot the internet in case of a catastrophic outage.
- The internet is fragile and faces threats from climate change, cyberattacks, political tensions, and solar storms.
- IRC volunteers are testing low-cost communication solutions like Meshtastic devices to restore connectivity in emergencies.
- Meshtastic devices use radio spectrum to send messages and can form a mesh network across a city, powered by small solar panels.
- Challenges include limited range in urban areas and the difficulty of installing devices on historic buildings.
- IRC aims to inspire local groups worldwide to prepare for internet failures, learning from experiences in Ukraine and Amsterdam.
- Governments may have secret resiliency plans, but there is skepticism about their existence and effectiveness.
- Efforts to improve internet resilience face resistance, such as loopholes in cybersecurity regulations.
- IRC volunteers continue their work, believing that preparation is crucial despite the daunting challenges.