# Theoretically: How could the internet break down?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theoretically-how-could-the-internet-break-down/303054>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 9, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theoretically-how-could-the-internet-break-down/303054 "2005-05-09T14:26:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![eponymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@eponymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eponymous)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theoretically-how-could-the-internet-break-down/303054/41 "2005-05-11T13:51:14Z")

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For those interested,

Sean Gorman (who now has his Ph.D.) did his dissertation on uncovering vulnerabilities in the US’s Internet and fiber optic backbone (among others). His research drew the attention of federal authorities and ultimately forced him to create 2 versions of his dissertation - an unclassified version and a classified version.

Here’s the link from the Washington Post:

[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A23689-2003Jul7](http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A23689-2003Jul7)

You can also see some of his research at the links below:

[http://www.fcw.com/solutions/presentations/cio/2003/5/msn.pdf](http://www.fcw.com/solutions/presentations/cio/2003/5/msn.pdf)

[http://policy.gmu.edu/imp/research/Cyber\_threat\_paper.pdf](http://policy.gmu.edu/imp/research/Cyber_threat_paper.pdf)

If anyone knows where the vulnerabilities are (at least with respect to the physical infrastrcture) it’s Sean Gorman.

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