From 1972 until 1989 she was director of the Network Information Systems Center at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI International).

Her first task was to write a Resource Handbook for the first demonstration of the ARPANET at the International Computer Communication Conference.

In 1975, the Defense Communication Agency (DCA) took operational control and support, and over time split the ARPANET into research and military networks.

DCA used the name Defense Data Network to refer to the combination, and the NIC served as its information center.

When e-mail and the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) became available around 1976, the NIC used them to deliver information to users via the network.

[11] In 1982, an Internet protocol was defined by Ken Harrenstien and Vic White in her group to access the online directory of people, called Whois.

[13] Even the names of the top-level domains, based on generic categories such as .com were suggestions of the NIC team, approved by the Internet developer community.

[15] In July, 2013 she received[16] the Jonathan B. Postel Service Award "for her contributions to the early development and administration of the Internet through her leadership of the Network Information Center (NIC) for the ARPANET".

In retirement she consistently volunteers at the Computer History Museum located in Mountain View, California.

[3]In Monster High: The Movie, Frankie Stein says they have part of the brain of "some lady named Liz who apparently invented the internet."