Library shelves with books

Resource Library

Everyone should have access to an open and trusted Internet.
Read our reports, papers, and other documents for insight and vision on how we can get there.

Action Plan 2024

Our roadmap for tackling the threats and challenges for today’s Internet as we look to grow and defend it for future generations.

Krishna waiting as a helicopter slinging a load of goods

2023 Year in Review

The Year in Review shows the steps we took in 2023 to ensure the Internet is for everyone. Learn about the positive difference we made for the Internet.

forest trees from above

Internet Impact Briefs

Shorter reports that analyze how different policies or new technologies may affect what the Internet needs to exist and thrive.

Panorama of a city

Global Internet Report (GIR)

From trust to consolidation, access to sustainability, a deep look at the forces shaping our digital future.

Blue background with pattern

Policy Briefs

Our perspective on critical Internet issues, including community networks, encryption, open Internet standards, Internet Exchange Points, and more.

Internet Way of Networking Use Case: Intermediary Liability

Intermediary liability protection and the Internet Way of Networking ...

Internet Way of Networking Use Case: Interconnection and Routing

How regulatory policy on routing and interconnection, and reduced autonomy of operators impact the Internet Way of Networking ...

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 ...

Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit: Introduction

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

The Impact of Internet Access in Indigenous Communities in Canada and the United States

This report provides an overview of findings to date on the impacts of the Internet in Indigenous communities in Canada and the United States ...

Statement to U.S. Congress Hearing on “Addressing the Urgent Needs of Our Tribal Communities”

When we can bring broadband to the most remote and hard-to-connect communities, we pave the way for other rural communities to find connectivity solutions ...

Anchoring the African Internet Ecosystem

Lessons from Kenya and Nigeria’s Internet Exchange Point Growth ...

Explainer: What is Eighty For Africa?

Like buying your food locally, and reducing how much you fly, getting your digital content locally also reduces the strain on the system. It allows the Internet to function more ...

Explainer: What is an Internet Exchange Point (IXP)?

An IXP is essential technical infrastructure where networks come together to connect and exchange Internet traffic.

Some of the types of networks that connect to exchange traffic ...

Explainer: What is Internet Peering?

In many parts of the world, connecting to the Internet is slow and expensive. Peering – exchanging traffic between networks – can help address this.

When you ...

Fact Sheet: Internet Way of Networking

We believe the Internet is for everyone, but it’s not just our privilege to use. It’s our responsibility to improve it, fulfilling the Internet’s potential as an instrument of opportunity ...

ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2020: Background Paper

This background paper is intended to provide the Internet Society community and interested parties with an outline of the objectives and key issues concerning the Internet to be addressed at ...

Archives

Internet Society contribution to WTDC 2017

The Internet Society submitted the attached contribution to the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2017 (WTDC 2017). The document is available in French and Spanish by the use of the ...

Best Practices: Botnets

A "bot" or "botnet" is a program installed on a system to enable that system to automatically (or semi-automatically) perform a task or set of tasks typically under the command ...

Best Practice: Extended Validation Certificates (EVSSL)

We increasingly live, interact, and do business online, making the concept of online trust more important than ever before. Unfortunately, our increased reliance on Internet-based transactions has also ...

Best Practices: Certificate Types

E-commerce has grown at exponential rates, with consumers recognizing the convenience of purchasing online and making secure and private transactions. This growth rests upon a foundation of trust. People trust ...

Transport Layer Security (TLS) for Email

Email is effectively a plaintext communication sent from email clients to receiving email servers or from one server to another.  This design limitation leaves the content of a message in ...

Best Practices: Email Authentication – SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

Email security, authentication, and related best practices are the foundation of the Internet Society's Online Trust Alliance work to promote the integrity of email and standards to counter email fraud ...

DMARC

Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) reduces the threat of deceptive emails. DMARC creates a feedback ...

Email Integrity Audit

Email security, authentication, and related best practices are the foundation of the Internet Society's Online Trust Alliance work to promote the integrity of email and standards to counter email fraud ...

Best Practices: Consumer IoT Information & Resources

The Internet of Things is changing the way we live, from increasing our energy efficiency (and saving money on utilities) to providing tailored entertainment and health monitoring. But, the ...

Email Security Committee

The committee works to promote adoption of email security, sending and authentication best practices for all classes of email senders and receivers including ...

2015 Online Trust Audit & Honor Roll – Leadership Quotes

2015 Leading Web Merchants and Consumer Facing Brands - Honor Roll Recipients

"We're honored to be selected again to the OTA Honor Roll ...

2015 Online Trust Audit and Honor Roll

The 2015 Online Trust Audit includes a composite analysis focusing on three major categories; a company’s data protection, security and privacy practices, including over two-dozen criteria.  The 2016 Presidential Candidates and IRS eFile ...

Organization Reports

On annual basis, we publish annual reports (an Action Plan and Impact Report), as well as financial reports, annual financial statements, and Form 990s.