Safer Internet Day (SID) was founded in 2004 by the EU SafeBorders project, and the initiative was further expanded by the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs). It’s an important date in the cyber safety calendar and Trend Micro is a proud supporter! On Tuesday 06/02, millions of people — across 180 countries and territories — will join together to celebrate and reflect on the theme of “Together for a Better Internet”.

What’s Safer Internet Day About?

Safer Internet Day will again reflect on the three key values from the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) strategy: Protection, Empowerment, and Respect:

“Creating an environment where children are protected from potential online risks and empowered with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the digital landscape responsibly and encouraging an online space where each child is treated with respect and dignity is essential to our vision.”

Safer Internet Day has a primary focus on children and teenagers as they are the most vulnerable internet users, with issues ranging from cyberbullying to inappropriate content, and personal image to online predation. At the same time, Safer Internet Day is also for everyone. We can all relate to the three values above; and a safe internet, a positive, healthy space for communication and cooperation, is a right of everyone. Together, we can work to make that happen.

Trend Micro Celebrates Safer Internet Day

Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Family (ISKF) program has been hosting FREE internet safety talks around the world since 2008. Our goal for each of these talks is to empower parents and educators online, offering practical advice, top tips, as well as useful online resources. We have two great webinars lined up for Safer Internet Day in the US and Ireland, hosted by our ISKF stars, Kimberly Keys (US) and Avril Ronan (Ireland).

Head over to our Events page to join or discover more great webinars and events. We also have a great archive of recorded webinars with leading cyber safety experts, FREE to view and EASY to access, right here. Why not pay a visit to our Cyber Academy as well? You’ll find great educational resources, with fun interactive lessons on topics ranging from Safety Settings to Privacy, and Healthy Habits to Kindness.

Ways to Get Involved with Safer Internet Day

There are many ways to get involved with Safer Internet Day. Head over to this resources page to find out more, at www.saferinternetday.org/join. There’s also a great tool for finding a Safer Internet Centre in your country. At the same time, the SID folks also encourage you to get in contact directly if you have any questions or are looking for advice — send an email to saferinternetday@betterinternetforkids.eu.

The SID folks have also put together a handy resource document containing activity ideas such as awareness campaigns, school visits, competitions, and more! Better Internet for Kids (BIK) also has various lines of communication:

• National awareness centres
• Youth panels
• And helplines and hotlines

In addition to the above, remember:

• Educate yourself:
  Stay informed on cyber safety best practices and keep up to date with the latest online risks. The Trend Micro News Blog will be a great resource for this, with topics ranging from data breach alerts to digital wellness, and tech how-tos to the latest scams.
• Communicate, collaborate, and spread awareness:
  Talk to your children, family members, friends, and colleagues about internet safety. Knowledge and cooperation are the first line of defense. If you want to follow and share materials, you can follow SID on X/Twitter, #SaferInternetDay and on Facebook.

Protecting Your Identity and Personal Info

Trend Micro is here to have your back in 2024. We would encourage readers to head over to our new ID Protection platform, which has been designed to meet the security and privacy threats we now all face. With ID Protection, you can:

1. Check to see if your data (email, number, password, credit card) has been exposed in a leak, or is up for grabs on the dark web;
2. Secure your social media accounts with our Social Media Account Monitoring tool, with which you’ll receive a personalized report;
3. Create the strongest tough-to-hack password suggestions from our advanced AI (they’ll be safely stored in your Vault);
4. Enjoy a safer browsing experience, as Trend Micro checks websites and prevents trackers.
5. Receive comprehensive remediation and insurance services, with 24/7 support.

Offering both free and paid services, ID Protection will ensure you have the best safeguards in place, with 24/7 support available to you through one of the world’s leading cybersecurity companies. Trend Micro is trusted by 8 of the top 10 Fortune 500 Companies — and we’ll have your back, too.

As cyber threats continue to grow, and more children enter the new reality of internet connectivity, it’s of crucial value to have days like Safer Internet Day — a chance for all to reflect, educate, improve, and celebrate. As always, we hope this article has been an interesting and/or useful read. If so, please do SHARE it with family and friends to help keep the online community secure and informed — and consider leaving a like or comment below.

Happy Safer Internet Day 2024!