Internet
The internet was not designed for business – and it shows, writes Richard Waters. Based on a protocol for enabling easy interconnection of existing communication networks, its founders took a “l(fā)owest common denominator” approach in order to ensure the broadest possible adoption.
One result of this was the lack of an inbuilt method of authenticating users, adding to the security vulnerabilities that have left businesses more exposed to online threats like denial of service attacks and intellectual property theft. Yet the same ease of interconnection also ensured the rapid adoption of the medium, turning the network-of-networks into one of the most powerful forces on the evolution of business over the past quarter of a century.