The Internet has made our word smaller and more interconnected than we ever imagined it could become. A source of global information, the net may well be the "gift" Scottish poet Robert Burns desired when he wished that we could "see ourselves as others see us." Through shopping, corporate communications, forums and online classes, Internet users have access to information on nearly 193 countries, in over 35 languages (the Global net, 2004).

This chapter is a brief outline of the development of the net, tools at AUP as well as the history of, and how to prevent the spread of Internet viruses.