What is ‘Safer Internet Day’?

Safer internet day is celebrated globally in February each year to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

The focus of Safer Internet Day 2020 is about empowering young people to explore identity online and opening up discussions about how the internet shapes the way that they think of themselves and others. It focuses on what creates our identity online – such as the things we share with each other, how others perceive us and interacts with us, as well as how online services use the information we share to identify and profile us.

How to get involved

Talk about safer internet day online using the hashtags #freetobe and #SaferInternetDay, as well as using fill the template with words that express who or what someone should be free to be online or you could include a picture of what a better internet could look like.

There are also education packs that can be downloaded for free off the UK safer internet centres website. The packs are customised for different age groups they contain some important information as well as some fun activities. More information can be found on their website Click here to see what packs are available
Click here to see what information is available for a parent or career

If you would like to support the day, you can register as a supporter and join 2000 organisations across the UK who deliver activities for Safer Internet Day each year.”

 You can also follow them on social media to keep up to date on what’s going on their account name can be found here @UK_SIC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for all the latest news. You can also sign up for their newsletter to receive monthly news about safer internet day this includes the latest resources launches and more. 

What resources are available?

There are resources that focus on identity online that supports young people to consider whether they feel free to experiment and express themselves online, or if they feel limited in who they can be when they are online. By opening up conversations around identity online, young people can be inspired and empowered to support each other to be who they want to be, both online and offline.

There are also education packs that can be downloaded for free and in these packs are pre built activities that can be used in a lesson environment There are different packs that are available for different age groups.

There are also social media resources that can be downloaded for free and there are also some instructions on how to use the template.
Click here for the social media template

Some tips from us at JTM

For some more tips on how to stay safe on the internet why not check out one of our previous blog posts where you can find some more information on how safe your password is.
Click here to view this blog post

Boost your network security

When you’re on the move, you might have to use public Wi-Fi. The problem with public Wi-Fi is that it is often unsecured. This means it’s relatively easy for a hacker to access your device or information. That’s why you should consider investing in a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN is a piece of software that creates a secure connection over the internet, so you can safely connect from anywhere.

Protect your mobile life

Our mobile devices can be just as vulnerable to online threats as our laptops. Mobile devices face new risks, such as risky apps and dangerous links sent by text message. Be careful where you click, don’t respond to messages from strangers, and only download apps from official app stores after reading other users’ reviews first. Make sure that your security software is enabled on your mobile, just like your computers and other devices.

Don’t save financial information on shopping sites

Even sites with SSL certification can be hacked. While there may not be a way yet to completely safeguard your data from hackers if you shop online, you can secure your financial information better by removing it altogether from shopping sites. So spend the extra minute to enter your information each time you make a purchase.

Do you have antivirus installed?

This is one simple way to make sure you’re safe online. All you have to do is pay for and set up your antivirus and that’s it. Or if you’ve already got one installed, make sure it’s up to date. Updates often contain changes which help protect you are your devices from scammers and online criminals. (Most antivirus software can be configured to do this automatically). Also, Use a firewall,  it takes just moments for a non-fire walled computer to be infected so stay safe by installing one.