In 1969, the U.S. Department of Defense conceived of a mechanism to safeguard communications systems in the event of a catastrophe. This mechanism was a small network of computers called ARPANET, or Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. It slowly grew into a larger network of contributors to ARPA projects. These consisted of researchers, defense contractors, and military personnel. Eventually, the military personnel felt insecure on ARPANET and broke off and created their own network called MILNET (for MILitary NETwork).

The entire idea of networks blossomed in 1986 when the National Science Foundation created their own NSFNET network. NSFNET was put in place to allow access to information resources to any school that wanted them. Once connected to this network, one was able to access all the other computers on the network. NFSNET grew faster than anyone imagined. Everyone wanted access. But instead of growing by a computer...