Families, businesses, and governments approach internet use differently. There are, on one end, those who ban usage and, on the other end, there are the liberals. Then there are those in-between.
Hurwitz & Manne, 2018, observe that technological liberalism values reliance on a minimal set of autonomy-respecting rules to facilitate voluntary, welfare-enhancing transactions between individuals, and that; technological advance can enhance liberty, while also undermining the legal rules and institutions necessary for the efficient interactions in a liberal society.
So, that said, there is no universal approach to internet security issues. There are, however, some basic approaches to internet use that would safeguard your family and business.
Read the user manual
Internet products are packaged alongside their user manuals. The most common internet products you will make use of at home are browsers and apps. Browsers, like Google, Mozilla Firefox, Brave e.t.c., help you to surf the net. They can crawl the internet and deliver your internet search results.
Apps, or Software Applications, can be proprietary or generic. Internet merchants, to promote their products and services, use proprietary apps. We have proprietary social media apps, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn e.t.c., and business apps like Amazon.
Generic apps like QuickBooks, Zoom, Dropbox, Microsoft Office 365, e.t.c., are available for use by anyone capable of harnessing them to suit their business.
Each app comes with a user manual that defines the terms of use and the necessary safeguards. Some have features to protect underage persons or to ensure safety when using them. In any case, be familiar with their usage recommendations by the developers.
Take advantage of internet tools
The Internet may [actually] refer to one of three things: 1) The computers and network that make up the Internet; 2) resources available from computers connected to the network; 3) tools used to retrieve the resources or communicate on the Internet, Bradshaw, et al (2006).
The scope of this article allows for only a couple of basics. Either, internet tools could be broadly categorized as free and open-source (FOSS), or closed (proprietary). Small businesses could harness FOSS to leapfrog using minimum resources.
Be proactive in social media/ internet usage in-(the)-house
It is advisable to monitor what everyone is doing online to encourage responsible online habits. Most security lapses occur out of avoidable mistakes such as opening an anonymous email or link. Letting the other users know about security risks mitigation will help avoid hacking and associated privacy risks. In the case of minors who are using technology at home, you could make use of features available from vendors such as children protection By Google. Check the user manual when installing your apps. You could also suggest useful sites and social groups, which in-house users could benefit from to shield them from the temptation to join morally corrupt ones. The idea is to provide credible alternatives.
Mentor on the use of social media/ internet
Help your in-house users to learn the ropes of internet usage by providing leadership. A family WhatsApp group could help in interacting remotely and gauging the perceptions. This could provide a channel of sharing online experiences to help younger members explore the internet safely and productively.
Be on Look-out for Internet Addiction Disorder
According to Healthline, you may be experiencing an internet addiction if you spend long periods online for non-work-related activities, such as browsing the web or playing video games, and notice symptoms such as sudden changes in mood, intensive worry about what’s happening online when you’re not there, not being able to control how much time you’re spending online, increasing your time online to achieve a certain feeling or mood, withdrawal symptoms (irritability, physical aches, depression) when not reaching the desired amount of time online, and; continued online behavior and consumption despite conflict with loved ones or consequences at work or school.
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