The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is an open, voluntary standards organization responsible for the technical standards that comprise the Internet protocol suite. Founded on January 14, 1986, the IETF operates with no formal membership roster or requirements, and its participants are volunteers, often funded by their employers or sponsors. The organization was initially supported by the U.S. federal government but has been operating under the Internet Society, a non-profit organization, since 1993.
The IETF’s work covers a broad range of networking technologies essential for the Internet’s growth and evolution, including automated network management, the Internet of Things (IoT), and new transport technology. The Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) provides the final technical review of Internet standards and manages the day-to-day operations of the IETF. The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) oversees the IETF’s external relationships and provides long-range technical direction for Internet development.
The IETF’s organizational structure includes volunteers who form working groups, with area directors appointing chairs to manage specific areas. These groups, along with the area directors, form the IESG, which is responsible for creating Internet standards expressed as Requests for Comments (RFCs). The IETF operates on a rough consensus basis rather than formal voting protocols. The IAB supervises the RFC editor and offers technical direction, while the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) works closely with the IETF. Funding for IETF activities comes from meeting dues, sponsors, and proceeds from organizational membership to the Public Interest Registry.
The IETF’s areas of focus include applications, general infrastructure, internet operations and management, real-time applications, routing, security, and transport. The standards process involves proposing specifications, developing standards based on these specifications, coordinating independent testing, and revising proposals based on testing results. Before proposals become official standards, they must have multiple successful interoperable implementations.
The IETF also coordinates activities such as hackathons to improve the interoperability and quality of the internet and develops standards for the IoT. It cooperates with other standards bodies to regulate the internet and make it safer, including the International Standards Organization (ISO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
In summary, the IETF is a key organization in the development and maintenance of Internet standards, working to ensure the Internet operates smoothly and continues to evolve to meet the needs of its global user base.