Hossein Torkashvand

Talking about technology, the internet, and digital security in a time when technology has become ubiquitous and some experts believe that we have become too immersed in technology and the internet, is a difficult task. Why is that? We must walk on the edge of the blade and be careful not to damage the delicacies of the digital world with our careless actions. Many people have entered the digital world today with the widespread use of laptops, tablets, and smartphones, and this entry may lead many to believe that because they know how to use these tools, they do not need much education to protect themselves and they know almost everything. Unfortunately, the world of digital security is not different from other fields; just as in other areas, many people with average literacy may consider themselves knowledgeable and independent in fields such as sociology, management, philosophy, medicine, economics, etc. This criticism is a significant part of a larger issue called “digital security culture,” which we will touch upon to some extent in this text. We

The first point that we must all admit is that our world will never go back to the pre-technology and internet era. The internet and technology are like a light that has been turned on in a dark room and we have seen the objects inside. Even if we turn off that light, the objects we have seen remain in our memory and do not disappear. Therefore, theories that try to ignore the internet and technology, or portray them as enemies and encourage people to rebel against them, are not trustworthy. Although we are aware that we should not turn a blind eye to the internet and technology and be passive, we must actively make choices and take action.

Let me begin by discussing the phenomenon of technology from the perspective of experts. The emergence of technology throughout history has not been separate from the emergence of science, how so? At the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment, humanity became familiar with the phenomenon of “critical self-reflection” and quickly imagined a time when science, with the help of reason, would provide answers to all of its questions and the world would soon enter an era where everything would be under human control and no unfortunate events would occur. However, with the sudden onset of two world wars, the initial optimism disappeared and two parallel ways of thinking emerged: one that was anti-rational and anti-science, and the other that sought to reform science and make it more accountable. The encounter with technology was not separate from this process. With the rapid growth of technology, such optimism emerged that it seemed as if technology was a god that would bring all the necessary tools for human liberation. After a while, with the emergence of technological problems

We were supposed to talk about “digital security culture”. Digital security is by no means a purely technological phenomenon and its social aspects are very prominent. In fact, digital security is a phenomenon at the intersection of social culture and technology, which we must be very careful about. Cultural lag refers to a situation where technology is growing in a society, but the culture has not yet caught up with that technology. Digital security in Iran is greatly affected by cultural lag. Looking at the issue of digital security in relation to its entry into Iran, there have been advancements, but there is still no scientific and systematic approach to it. Yes, until a few years ago, civil and political activists in Iran used the most insecure tools such as text messages and phone calls to communicate with each other, which were highly susceptible to eavesdropping, and the only way to ensure security was to turn off their phones and remove their SIM cards. But today, we see a greater sensitivity in this area and people are curious

Unfortunately, our perspective on digital security in Iran is brief and insignificant. Digital security is often seen as a luxury and an extra measure that only applies to a certain group of people, while others are exempt from dealing with it. It must be said that people’s interpretation of security and how to maintain it is wrong and they have barely gone beyond a superficial level of understanding. Digital security includes you as an individual and is not just for political activists, civil society members, and famous individuals. We must believe that we also possess information that can be misused and we can easily become victims of harassment and abuse. Sometimes a photo, video, or a bank card PIN can cause so much trouble for us that we get entangled in it for a long time. Additionally, we are not alone in the digital world and others are also connected to us. If we do not take digital security seriously, we are also putting our digital friends and acquaintances at risk. Unfortunately, we still do not have this

But in addition to people themselves facing digital security shortcomings, perhaps our expert perspective has also not been ineffective in creating this situation. I have previously mentioned that there are two types of perspectives towards technology among experts: one is opposing and pessimistic, and the other is optimistic and seeking improvement. Experts with a pessimistic view of technology always try to introduce digital security as an additional issue that should not be taken too seriously, otherwise we will drown in it. In their view, technology ties our hands and feet, and we can ignore various aspects of it, including digital security, with different tools. The result of such a perspective is that the most basic aspects of digital security, such as choosing strong and different passwords or paying attention to social engineering methods, are introduced as things that we should not be too concerned about. In response to these experts, it should be said that we should not try to take people back to the pre-technology and internet era; in a time when everyday tasks such as communicating

It is very important to say and the opportunity for this writing is very limited. Let’s make digital security one of the fascinating daily routines of today’s colorful world. If we are supposed to take care of our wallet every day, lock our homes and workplaces, keep children away from the dangers of accidents, and even be careful of our emotions and personalities in communication with others, let’s also take our digital security seriously. Let’s believe that the warm and fascinating world of digital is meant to be our daily routine and let’s take care of it with a smile and seriousness every day.