Contributor: Robin Wilton The Internet is a critical, global resource that brings incredible benefits, provided it is both accessible and trustworthy. In 2020, the Internet Society identified five critical properties that âmake the Internet the Internetâ. They represent the foundation of the Internet, which we call the Internet Way of Networking (IWN). Without them, the Internet’s benefits of global innovation and opportunity are in jeopardy. The path from critical properties to global benefits involves risk, however, and encryption is a vital tool for protecting ourselves along the way.  Cryptographic technology, including encryption [1], protects the integrity and confidentiality of data; it underpins authentication protocols and digital certificates. It secures communication protocols and protects access to resources and data-at-rest.