The Internet began in the 1960s as a small network of academic and government computers primarily involved in research for the prefix = st1 /U.S.army. Originally limited to researchers at a handful of universities and government departments, the Internet has quickly become a worldwide network providing users with information on a range of subjects and allowing them to purchase goods directly from companies via computer. By 1999, 84 millionU.S.citizens had access to the Internet at home or work. More and more Americans arc paying bills, shopping, ordering airline tickets, and purchasing stocks via computer over the Internet. Internet banking is also becoming increasingly popular. With lower overhead costs in terms of staffing and office space, Internet banks are able to offer higher interest rates on deposits and charge lower rates on loans than traditional banks.  "Brick and mortar" banks are increasingly offering online banking services via some special websites to enlarge their traditional services. At present, 14 percent of Internet households conduct their banking by means of the Internet, and the figure is expected to double during the next two or three years. Increasing commercial use of the Internet has heightened security and privacy concerns. With a credit card, an Internet user can order almost anything from an Internet site and have it delivered to their home or office. Companies doing business over the Internet need many security measures to protect credit card, bank account, and social security numbers from unauthorized access as they pass across the Internet. Any organization that connects its networks to the global Internet must carefully control the access point to ensure that out-siders cannot disturb the organization's internal networks or gain unauthorized access to the organization's computer systems and data. According to the text, Internet banking  _  .
offers price advantages to users requires little usage fees is more efficient than traditional banking is environmentally-conscious