- Application
- Autonomous System
- Border Gateway Protocol
- Cloud
- Connectivity
- Cybersecurity
- Domain Name System
- Encryption
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- Enterprise
- Hybrid Cloud Connectivity
- Interconnection
- Internet
- Internet Engineering Task Force
- Internet Exchange Points
- Internet Protocol
- Internet Service Providers
- IT Governance
- Packet
- Packet-Switched Network
- Protocol
- Segmentation
- Services
- Software-as-a-Service
- Standards
- Transmission Control Protocol
- Transport Layer Security
- User Datagram Protocol
- Zero Trust
Who is Internet?
The Internet is the global, decentralized system of interconnected autonomous networks that exchanges packet-switched data between hosts using the Internet Protocol suite (TCP/IP) together with associated routing, naming, and application-layer protocols.
- Global packet-switched network interconnection
- TCP/IP protocol suite and IP addressing
- Border Gateway Protocol routing between autonomous systems
- Domain Name System for name resolution
- Application services for web, email, and cloud delivery
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More About Internet
The Internet operates as a federation of independently administered networks, each known as an autonomous system, that agree to exchange traffic under common technical standards. Enterprises connect to it through internet service providers, transit carriers, internet exchange points, and cloud on-ramps, and they use it as the transport layer for remote access, hybrid cloud connectivity, software-as-a-service delivery, and customer-facing digital services. Enterprise architects typically treat it as an untrusted public transport, which shapes designs around encryption, identity-based access, and segmentation.
The technical foundation rests on the Internet Protocol, with IPv4 and IPv6 providing addressing and packet delivery, and Transmission Control Protocol and User Datagram Protocol supplying end-to-end transport. Routing between autonomous systems relies on the Border Gateway Protocol, while the Domain Name System translates human-readable names into network addresses. Transport Layer Security protects application sessions, and protocols such as HTTP and HTTP/2 underpin the web. Standards for these protocols are developed largely through open working groups such as the Internet Engineering Task Force, which publishes specifications as Requests for Comments.
Comparisons to other network models are useful for context. The Internet differs from private wide area networks, which are operated under a single administrative authority with contracted service levels, and from dedicated circuits, which provide fixed point-to-point capacity. Many organizations combine public Internet access with private connectivity to balance cost, performance, and resilience.
The business and technical significance of the Internet lies in its role as a shared, widely interoperable infrastructure. It enables global reach for digital services, supports distributed workloads across multiple cloud regions, and provides the basis for modern security architectures such as zero trust, where access decisions depend on identity and context rather than network location. Its open standards and broad adoption make it a central reference point for network design, performance engineering, and governance across the technology sector.
Our description of Internet. Updated October 2026.