Seven people have keys to the Internet

To "restart" the Internet in the event of a major attack on the infrastructure are seven people across the world have been designated to be a part of the cryptographic key needed to restart.

It is about DNSSEC system, which stands for Domain Name System Security Extensions, which include ensure that the URLs on the Internet can be verified with the right owners and to ensure data is correct, for example, to prevent fake pages that have taken over a DNS name.

If the servers involved in DNSSEC, comes under attack, they will automatically disconnect from the network to limit the damage. To connect all the servers again, used a key, called the DNSSEC root key, which is split between seven smart cards awarded to seven individuals from England, USA, Burkina Faso, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, China and Czech Republic.

Five out of seven people are needed to restore the system, which is done by people flown to a secure place in the U.S., after which the key input, and the servers are connected again. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which overlooks the whole procedure.