Reality → Tech → The Internet → Governance
International governance with power to control the Net does not exist. Instead, interoperability of the huge number of subnets is largely assured by protocols and standards adopted through voluntary cooperation of national and international stakeholder organizations, among them the California-based ICANN, which is unique in having US-backed authoritative power for administering the domain name system [1] . The UN-promoted Internet Governance Forum meets annually to discuss aspects of Internet governance but has no regulatory or supervisory power. Recurring debated issues include net neutrality, right to Internet access, Internet privacy, freedom of information, and IT law. Political influence of the Net, in particular through social media, is redirecting the focus on security [2] , surveillance [3] , and censorship.
US-based nonprofit organizations (ICANN, IANA, PTI) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) have had and partly still have decisive roles in designing and implementing the domain name system with control over 13 root name servers.
Firewalls add to the security of local networks. Public key cryptography secures the transmission of sensitive information, like passwords and personal data (unfortunately not practical for emails). Along with other prudent practices, adequate protection against spam, phishing, and malware is achievable.
In the US, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) share responsibilities for counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and cyberwarfare.