Internet Way of Networking - Internet Society

Championing a thriving Internet for everyone

The Internet has radically transformed our lives for the better.

In just a few decades, it’s rapidly become a critical resource offering those with access virtually infinite opportunities to innovate and work together for the collective good.

This didn’t happen by accident. The Internet owes its strength, resilience, and success to its open architecture. It was literally built to be built upon.

But what makes it great also makes it vulnerable. Governments and businesses are increasingly making decisions that could impact the Internet – and they might not even know it.

If we don’t consider how our actions could impact the Internet, we risk breaking the underlying foundation that makes it work for everyone.

That is why the Internet Society has created the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit.

What the Internet Needs to Exist

The Critical properties of the Internet Way of Networking form the underlying foundation the Internet needs to work for everyone.

An Accessible Infrastructure with a Common Protocol

Open Architecture of Interoperable and Reusable Building Blocks

Decentralized Management and a Single Distributed Routing System

Common Global Identifiers

A Technology Neutral, General-Purpose Network

What the Internet Needs to Thrive

The Internet Society and groups worldwide share a common set of aspirations for the Internet: open, globally connected, secure and trustworthy.

How do we achieve these goals?

The Enablers of an Open, Globally Connected, Secure and Trustworthy Internet are what help us get closer to the Internet we all want – now and in the future.

Supporting an Open Internet

Easy and unrestricted access
Unrestricted use and deployment of Internet technologies
Collaborative development, management, and governance

Supporting a Globally Connected Internet

Unrestricted reachability
Available capacity

Supporting a Secure Internet

Data confidentiality of information, devices, and applications
Integrity of information, applications, and services

Supporting a Trustworthy Internet

Reliability, resilience, and availability
Accountability
Privacy

Want to help protect and defend the Internet?

Get to Know the Internet Way of Networking

Take the Internet Way of Networking elearning course to learn about what underpins the Internet’s success.

Stay tuned for our next course offering

Use the Toolkit

Have you spotted a policy, technology development or trend that could harm the Internet’s foundation?

Produce an Internet Impact Brief

Grow the Toolkit

Contribute to the growing body of knowledge that helps people protect the Internet.

Explore our collection of Internet Impact Briefs

News and Resources

NIS2 Inconsistency – a DNS Supply Chain Perspective

Internet Way of Networking 17 December 2021

NIS2 Inconsistency – a DNS Supply Chain Perspective

The European Union’s Network and Information Security directive (NIS2) is missing an opportunity to foster accountability across the entire...

The Internet Is Not the Enemy

In the News 30 November 2021

The Internet Is Not the Enemy

Project Syndicate

Internet Impact Briefs – A New Way to Assess How Policies May Affect the Internet (and How You Can Create One)

Internet Way of Networking 8 November 2021

Internet Impact Briefs – A New Way to Assess How Policies May Affect the Internet (and How You Can Create One)

There are plenty of things that keep us up at night. From Internet shutdowns, to laws that would poke...

Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit: Introduction

The Internet Way of Networking is a positive framework that lets us test whether new ideas support the best...
The Internet Way of Networking: Defining the critical properties of the Internet

To sustain the Internet’s value for our future, we need to recognize and protect what makes it unique.
Enablers of an Open, Globally Connected, Secure and Trustworthy Internet

The Enablers of an Open, Globally Connected, Secure and Trustworthy Internet are what help us get closer to the...
Internet Impact Brief: Canada’s Proposed Online Harms Legislation and the Internet

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) to assess how the Canada’s proposed online harms bill may...
Internet Impact Brief: Mandated Browser Root Certificates in the European Union’s eIDAS Regulation on the Internet

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) to assess how the EU’s proposal may affect the global...
Internet Impact Brief: Revised Directive on Security of Network and Information (NIS2) – Presidency Compromise Proposal September 2021

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) to assess how the Presidency compromise proposal from 21 September...
Internet Impact Brief: Technical Architecture of the GAIA-X Project

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit (IIAT) to assess how the GAIA-X concepts may affect the global...
Internet Impact Brief: 2021 Indian Intermediary Guidelines and the Internet Experience in India

This report uses the Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit to assess how the 2021 Indian Intermediary Guidelines may affect the...
How to Conduct an Internet Impact Brief

Find simple explanations of the goals, critical properties and enablers of the Internet, and a step-by-step guide to conducting...