5.)    The internet is run by long-distance carriers, and local connections to those nodes are handled by Internet Service Providers and local telephone companies.  The Internet Service Providers supply basic internet connections and can sometimes even provide content, for example, American Online. However, most content providers are independent and both Internet Service providers and content providers remain separate.  Also, non-profit organizations help run the Internet , such as MERIT network in Michigan.  The Internet is made-up of high-speed digital lines that are leased by the regional networks from long-distance telephone companies.  Locally, ISPs lease or own high-speed phone lines that connect local users to the Internet.  The assignment of addresses and domain names is an important issue.  ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers decides who gets the rights to domain names and charges an annual fee to the domain owners.  

6.)    After doing research on the privacy and security practices on the Internet, I am aware that there are many phishing scams and thieves who make fake e-mails or web addresses and try to obtain anything that can lead to access of my accounts or personal information.  Also, many scam e-mails contain viruses that can seriously damage your computer and make it easier for someone to hack into it.  In order to protect my safety, I will no longer open e-mail attachments from unknown correspondents, click on Web links sent to me in an e-mail, even if it seems like an organization or an institution I might trust, or respond to requests to verify the receipt of an e-mail to an unknown party.  It is always important to read user and privacy agreements and check for spyware when downloading, especially file-sharing software.  There has been an incident where I received an e-mail saying I won a prize and was randomly chosen from a name database that had my name because of the e-mail I used on a website.  I usually would not open or read e-mails that I do not recognize, however, the e-mail was very believable because it said it was from a car dealership and was the same kind of car that I own.  I thought twice and decided to look up on Google if this prize was a scam or not.  It turned out that this e-mail has been being sent out for a while and it was a scam that asked for your name and some information and there was no prize and would try to hack into your computer after responding to the e-mail.  Now, if it is not an e-mail from a friend or website that I have registered for and recognize, I do not open the e-mail and instantly remove it from my inbox.  There is also a website that looks almost exactly like Chase Bank’s if you do not directly type it into the search engine and search for it and look through choices instead.  It is very important to keep your e-mail private because even by going into a chatroom, someone can view your e-mail and send you spyware or viruses.  I find it very important to practice these safety tips to avoid any issues with hacking, scams, or viruses.