A government shutdown probably won't have a big effect on internet security

The U.S. government may shutdown at midnight on Friday, but this will likely have little to no effect on the nation's all-important cybersecurity activities.

In fact, if the Congress fails to fund the government and it shuts down — which it has done 12 times since 1981 — most federal employees are still required to come to work because they are responsible for "essential" tasks. These employees include air traffic controllers for the FAA, TSA officials scanning bags at airports for weapons, and Army intelligence personnel tracking potential cyberattack attempts.