▁pos ed ▁by ▁the ▁internet : ▁" The ▁open ▁and ▁free ▁flow ▁of ▁information ▁fav ored ▁by ▁the ▁West ▁will ▁allow ▁advers aries ▁an ▁un pre ced ented ▁ability ▁to ▁gather ▁intelligence ." ▁On ▁ 1 9 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁United ▁States ▁Senator ▁Joe ▁Lie ber man ▁( I - CT ) ▁introduced ▁a ▁bill ▁called ▁" Pro te ct ing ▁Cy bers pace ▁as ▁a ▁National ▁As set ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 0 ", ▁which ▁he ▁co - w rote ▁with ▁Senator ▁Susan ▁Collins ▁( R - ME ) ▁and ▁Senator ▁Thomas ▁Car per ▁( D - DE ). ▁If ▁signed ▁into ▁law , ▁this ▁controvers ial ▁bill , ▁which ▁the ▁American ▁media ▁dub bed ▁the ▁" K ill ▁switch ▁bill ", ▁would ▁grant ▁the ▁President ▁emer gency ▁powers ▁over ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Internet . ▁However , ▁all ▁three ▁co - auth ors ▁of ▁the ▁bill ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁that ▁instead , ▁the ▁bill ▁"[ n arrow ed ] ▁existing ▁broad ▁President ial ▁authority ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁tele communic ations ▁networks ". ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁public ly ▁war ned ▁about ▁the ▁Chinese ▁military ' s ▁use ▁of ▁civil ian ▁computer ▁exper ts ▁in ▁c land est ine ▁cy ber ▁attacks ▁aim ed ▁at ▁American ▁companies ▁and ▁government ▁ag encies . ▁The ▁Pent agon ▁also ▁pointed ▁to ▁an ▁alleg ed ▁China - based ▁computer ▁sp ying ▁network ▁dub bed ▁Ghost Net ▁that ▁was