Safer Internet Day 8 is celebrated on Wednesday 2022 February, the event set up by the European Union to raise awareness of a more responsible use of the Internet, with a particular focus on young people. A day full of initiatives organized by the Ministry of Education through "Connected Generations", the online platform created to educate young people in the conscious use of the Internet and to learn to recognize its risks. AVM supports Safer Internet Day and, for the 2022 edition, offers some practical suggestions dedicated to safe surfing.
A password isn't forever
The password is our first protection: compromising a single profile can allow cybercriminals to access other accounts as well. Choose passwords that are difficult to find, with at least eight characters, with symbols, numbers and avoiding trivial sequences. Differentiate your passwords so you don't use the same one for multiple accounts: to simplify the management of your passwords you may prefer a password manager, a software that simplifies the management of passwords and associated accounts.
Password: prudence
Always pay close attention to the email messages and links you receive, even if they appear to come from a trusted person or company you know. Beware of grammatical errors and urgent requests, always check the sender's address and never provide personal information. Remember to log out of the accounts used and to delete your cookies and browsing history. An active account can track internet traffic and let people know which sites we are visiting. An easy way to secure browsing is to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network), a software that encrypts the connection and hides the IP address.
Disabling Wi-Fi
You can turn off the network when it is not in use, for example during the night. FRITZ! OS allows you to select a time interval in a few simple clicks, as well as to reduce the range of the Wi-Fi in order to transmit within the confines of your home.
Always up to date
Check and regularly update your software and apps: it is difficult to know what and how much information they have access to. Pay attention to the permissions that are requested and remember that hackers are always on the lookout for outdated software.
Safe families with FRITZ!
With FRITZ! of AVM it is possible to set the hours and days in which surfing is allowed and to choose the total time within which a device can remain connected. You can also set up different network access profiles and adapt each profile to family members (and devices). The FRITZ! Box parental control is a very useful tool for managing access to certain online content, as well as for blocking potentially harmful applications. FRITZ! Boxes also include a firewall that can block unsolicited data, so that all computers, smartphones and other devices are even more protected against attacks.
