This analysis aims to derive general principles for under-standing the information age through an examination of the global computer networks that facilitate it. Computer networks are created via shared technical standards called protocols. These protocols exhibit several key characteristics, including openness, flexibility, robustness, and voluntary adoption. While computer networks such as the Internet were originally invented to avoid specific social and political threats during the height of the cold war, today networks suffer from a host of new vulnerabilities. Computer viruses provide a case study for understanding these new vulnerabilities and the future political challenges posed by networks of all kinds.
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