--- description: Meet one of the most powerful men we never knew existed title: This perplexed looking British man has a key to the internet image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # This Man Has a Key That Can Shut Down the Entire Internet by [Laura Stampler](/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 17, 2014 7:58 PM CUT by [Laura Stampler](/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 17, 2014 7:58 PM CUT In case you missed it, [_The Guardian_ ran an almost unbelievable story last month](http://www.itv.com/news/2014-03-17/this-british-businessman-holds-a-key-to-the-internet-to-reset-in-case-of-cyber-attack/ "undefined") about individuals from around the world who hold keys that, when combined into one master key, have the power to reset the internet. (Yes, this is a real world thing and not the plot of an upcoming Dan Brown novel.) [And according to ITV](http://www.itv.com/news/2014-03-17/this-british-businessman-holds-a-key-to-the-internet-to-reset-in-case-of-cyber-attack/ "undefined"), one of the members of that powerful, international cohort is this very perplexed looking British businessman: > [](https://twitter.com/itvfootball/status/445504256779747328) > [](https://twitter.com/BuzzFeedUK/status/445565239246200832) Paul Klane, a father of two, was headhunted to be a part of the elite group that would be able to reboot the internet in case of a major cybersecurity crisis. And the man’s wide eyes indicates that he is keeping careful watch over his special key — that he happens to store in a plastic bag. “Each of the 14 primary keyholders owns a traditional metal key to a safety deposit box, which in turn contains a smartcard, which in turn activates a machine that creates a new master key,” [reports _The Guardian._](http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/28/seven-people-keys-worldwide-internet-security-web "undefined") The master key is used to make sure that the domain name system (DNS) — a phone book of IP addresses — is authentic. The _Guardian_ reports the key holders, part of an organization called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), meet four times a year in the U.S. over pepperoni pizza and beer for an official key ceremony. And some of the members, “chosen for their geographical spread as well as their experience – no one country is allowed to have too many key holders,” certainly seem like characters. Anne-Marie Eklund Löwinder, an [Internet Hall of Fame member](http://www.internethalloffame.org/inductees/anne-marie-eklund-löwinder "undefined"), was described as wearing “dangly cat earrings”–pretty appropriate for someone who literally holds a key to the internet. “Of course it is a bit romantic and thrilling to be a part of this, because I am a romantic by heart,” she said. “I have to admit I love the internet.” \[[_ITV_](http://www.itv.com/news/2014-03-17/this-british-businessman-holds-a-key-to-the-internet-to-reset-in-case-of-cyber-attack/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/27682/key-to-internet-pail-klane-british/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/27682/key-to-internet-pail-klane-british/"},"headline":"This Man Has a Key That Can Shut Down the Entire Internet","datePublished":"2014-03-17T19:58:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:07:52.587Z","description":"Meet one of the most powerful men we never knew existed","url":"https://time.com/27682/key-to-internet-pail-klane-british/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Tech","Internet"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laura Stampler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/27682/key-to-internet-pail-klane-british/","name":"This Man Has a Key That Can Shut Down the Entire Internet"}}]}] ```