The Internet Hall of Fame announced today its seventh inductee class since the award was founded eleven years ago. The inductees, comprising scientists, academicians, and activists, were honored in a virtual ceremony held at 14:00 time UTC.
Hailing from India, Brazil, Costa Rica, Australia, and the United States, this year’s inductees helped expand the Internet’s reach, strengthen its security, and increase its accessibility to the public and under-resourced communities in particular.
The Internet Hall of Fame recognizes individuals worldwide who have played an extraordinary role in the conceptualization, building, and development of the global Internet, including those who have made crucial, behind-the-scenes contributions.
The contributions of the latest inductee class include: the creation of protocols that enabled effective and secure transfer of data over the Internet; the development of commercial Internet infrastructure that could provide Internet service to the general public; the networking of Central American, Latin American, and Caribbean countries; and the advancement of digital inclusion among underserved communities.
The 2023 Inductees
Abhay Bhushan: Author of the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and pioneer of early TCP/IP architecture models and e-mail standards.
Laura Breeden: A tireless champion of Internet equity, helped to bring online millions of people and organizations.
Ivan Moura Campos: Influenced the development of Brazil’s Internet and enabled many other countries to adopt his approaches.
Steve Cisler: Connected libraries to the Internet throughout North America, with a focus on under-resourced communities.
Peter Eckersley: Helped revolutionize the widespread adoption of HTTPS that made the Internet safer and more secure.
Hartmut Richard Glaser: Helped to forge Internet development in Brazil and Latin America through a multistakeholder model.
Simon S. Lam: Invented secure sockets in 1991 and implemented the first secure sockets layer, named SNP, in 1993, which created a paradigm shift in security research for Internet applications.
William L. Schrader: Paved the way for widespread Internet use by co-founding the first statewide Internet-based network in America.
Guy de Téramond: Helped connect many Central American and Caribbean countries to the Internet.
More details on the 2023 cohort, including biographies and photos, can be found at internethalloffame.org.
Every one of these inductees played an important role in developing the Internet. Some worked on fundamentals that made the Internet work more securely and effectively. Others brought the Internet to new places and new people. The effects of their contributions are visible today.
Andrew Sullivan,
Internet Society CEO
About the Internet Hall of Fame
Founded in 2012, the Internet Hall of Fame is an ongoing awards program established by the Internet Society to recognize a distinguished and select group of leaders and luminaries who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the global open Internet. More information on the program can be found at internethalloffame.org.
About the Internet Society
Founded in 1992 by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society is a global non-profit organization working to ensure the Internet remains a force for good for everyone. Through its community of members, special interest groups, and 120+ chapters around the world, the organization defends and promotes Internet policies, standards, and protocols that keep the Internet open, globally connected, and secure. For more information, please visit internetsociety.org.
