What are Cyberspace and Cybersecurity?
Explore the origins of the internet and the challenges that will define its future.
Teaching Resources—Cyberspace and Cybersecurity: Introduction (including lesson plan with slides)
Higher Education Discussion Guide
It seems impossible to imagine modern life without the internet, but it’s only fifty years old. Initially created to connect a small group of researchers and U.S. defense officials, the internet is now a vast social and commercial platform that connects four billion people.
But as the internet has grown, so have the issues of cybersecurity, data privacy, and online rights. Governments and private companies are always playing catch-up, and different governments have taken different approaches to regulating and enforcing the rules of cyberspace, sometimes creating international conflicts. Without an international consensus on rules—or the consequences for breaking those rules—we are at an increased risk of cyberattacks from malicious actors taking advantage of the volume of personal data we share online. Though the internet is virtual, its benefits—and dangers—are real.
