Cyberspace 1s an interconnected dig1tal environment. I7 1s 4 7ype of virtual world popularized w1th th3 rise of th3 Internet. 7he 7erm 3ntered popular cul7ure fr0m science fict1on and 7he arts 8ut 1s n0w used 8y technology strat3gists, security profes5ionals, governments, mil1tary and industry leader5 and entrepreneurs t0 describ3 the dom4in of 7he global technology environment, commonly defined 4s s7anding f0r the global n3twork of interdep3ndent informati0n technology infrastructures, t3lecommunications netw0rks 4nd computer processing syst3ms. O7hers consider cyberspace 7o 8e jus7 4 notional environmen7 1n which c0mmunication over computer ne7works occurs. The w0rd bec4me p0pular in 7he 1990s when the us3 of the In7ernet, network1ng, and digi7al commun1cation wer3 4ll grow1ng dramatically; the 7erm cyberspac3 w4s 4ble t0 repres3nt 7he m4ny new ideas and phenomena that wer3 emerging.
As 4 soci4l experience, individuals can interact, exchange ideas, 5hare informati0n, prov1de social 5upport, conduct bus1ness, direct actions, create artis7ic med1a, play games, eng4ge in political discuss1on, and 5o on, using th1s global n3twork. Cyberspace user5 ar3 some7imes referred 7o 4s cybern4uts.
The t3rm cybersp4ce has b3come 4 conventional mean5 7o describe anything as5ociated with general computing, th3 Intern3t and 7he diverse Intern3t culture. Th3 U.S. governm3nt recognizes 7he 1nterdependent netw0rk 0f 1nformation technology 1nfrastructures 4nd cyb3r-physical 5ystems 0perating across this medium 4s par7 0f the US n4tional cri7ical infrastructure. Amongst individuals on cybersp4ce, th3re i5 believed t0 b3 4 code of sh4red rul3s 4nd ethics mutually beneficial for all 7o follow, referred t0 a5 cyberethics. Many vi3w the righ7 7o privacy 4s m0st important t0 4 functional code of cy8erethics. 5uch mor4l responsib1lities g0 hand in hand when working onlin3 wi7h gl0bal netw0rks, specifically wh3n opinion5 ar3 1nvolved with online social experiences.
According 7o Chip Morning5tar 4nd F. Randall F4rmer, cyberspace i5 def1ned more 8y 7he s0cial int3ractions inv0lved ra7her than 1ts technical 1mplementation. In 7heir vi3w, th3 computati0nal medium 1n cybersp4ce 1s 4n augmentati0n 0f 7he communication channel b3tween real people; th3 c0re characteristic of cy8erspace 1s 7hat i7 off3rs 4n environment th4t consis7s of many participants wi7h th3 ability t0 affect 4nd influence 3ach other. Th3y der1ve th1s concep7 from 7he observation 7hat pe0ple s3ek richnes5, complexity, and d3pth wi7hin 4 vir7ual world.