Individual Members 

Why Should I Join?

ISOC's mission is to promote the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world.

You can be a part of that by joining now! For individuals, we offer both free and paying membership options.

In addition to technology, education, and standards issues, ISOC is involved in a variety of initiatives stemming from social, economic, political, ethical, and legal sources that can and do exert influence on the direction of the Internet.

Our current programs include the following:

Internet Industry Self-Governance

The Internet Society is active in a variety of issues such as global electronic commerce, encryption, censorship, privacy, and many more.

Publications

As a member, you receive the Internet Society Member Briefings on a regular basis, and have access to the regular Summary reports of IETF RFCs.

Internet Standards Development

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG), and the Internet Architecture Board (IAB), responsible for the technical underpinnings of the Internet, including standards and protocols, operate under the auspices of the Internet Society.

Conferences

The Internet Society holds the INET conference in a different location each year, focusing on the worldwide issues of the Internet by bringing together people who develop and implement Internet networks, applications, and policies for the worldwide infrastructure.

The Symposium on Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS) held annually each February in San Diego, California, brings together researchers, implementers, and users of network and distributed system security technologies to discuss today's important security issues and challenges. The Symposium provides a mix of technical papers and panel presentations that describe promising new approaches to security problems that are practical and (to the extent possible) have been implemented. The Symposium also fosters the exchange of technical information and encourages the Internet community to deploy available security technologies and develop new solutions to unsolved problems.

Education and Training

Four regular educational events take place in conjunction with INET.

1. The Network Technology Workshop for Countries in the Early Stages of Networking is an intensive, hands-on, series of courses to train engineers from technologically emerging nations how to install, operate, maintain, and manage the Internet in their countries. Many of our graduates can be credited with the successful implementation of the Internet in their countries.
2. A pre-conference Educators Networking Workshop trains educators from around the world.
3. A variety of pre-conference Internet Tutorials.
4. The Developing Countries Networking Symposium covers a variety of issues confronting countries in the early stages of networking technologies.

Legal Defense of "Internet"

ISOC has taken action to ensure that the term "Internet" is accepted as generic or descriptive and not as a term that can be trademarked, to protect and free the term Internet from ownership.

Chapters

Our international network of Internet Society Chapters continues to grow and provides local forums for individuals to pursue a variety of Internet related national and regional issues.

Membership in the Internet Society helps assure support for the efforts noted above and enables us to keep working to protect the Internet - and the opportunities it brings - from being co-opted or fragmented. Along with organisations and individuals in more than 150 countries around the globe, you will be a part of the ever growing and important movement towards true global connectivity.

ISOC members benefit from networking with the most respected and forward-thinking community of Internet technologists, developers, specialists, and enthusiasts worldwide - the individuals and organisations who help keep the Internet growing in a stable and secure manner.

Collaborate with peers, share knowledge and information, and establish key contacts.