Welcome to Safer Internet Day! A day used to help spread awareness and increase security best practices.
With the constant bombardment of cyber attacks, it has become imperative for individuals and companies alike to take charge and protect themselves. Below is a collection of experts who have shared what to look out for and how to protect yourself so you can stay safe while using the internet and all the tools it interacts with.
The Internet is a Prime Attack Vector for Cyber Threats
Safer Internet Day serves as a powerful reminder that cybersecurity is not just a technical concern—it is a business imperative. In an era where digital connectivity underpins every aspect of operations, the internet has become both a vital asset and a prime attack vector for cyber threats. Organizations that fail to implement robust security measures risk data breaches, financial loss, operational disruption, and reputational damage.
Every login credential, software download, and email interaction present a potential entry point for threat actors. Cybersecurity, therefore, extends far beyond firewalls and encryption; it demands a culture of awareness, vigilance, and proactive risk mitigation. A well-informed workforce is as critical as the technologies deployed to safeguard digital environments.
To foster a safer internet and fortify cyber resilience, organizations must:
- Enforce stringent access controls – Implement multifactor authentication and least-privilege access to minimize unauthorized entry points.
- Cultivate a cyber-aware workforce – Conduct ongoing cybersecurity training to help employees recognize and neutralize phishing scams, social engineering tactics, and emerging cyber threats.
- Proactively address vulnerabilities – Regularly update and patch systems to eliminate security gaps before they can be exploited.
- Develop and stress-test cyber recovery plans – Establish incident response protocols that ensure swift containment, mitigation, and restoration in the event of an attack.
Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and organizations must adopt a security-first mindset to stay ahead. Safer Internet Day is not just an annual observance—it is a call to action for businesses to embed cybersecurity into their DNA, ensuring long-term resilience and trust in the digital ecosystem. – Heath Renfrow, Chief Information Security Officer and Co-founder at Fenix24
Using A Multi-Layered Security Approach
Safer Internet Day highlights the critical importance of online safety. While the internet is essential, it also exposes users to numerous threats. Attackers can easily “touch” users online, often through phishing emails or malicious websites, making users a prime target. Therefore, a multi-layered security approach is essential. This includes comprehensive user education on cybersecurity best practices, cultivating a security-conscious environment where reporting suspicious activity is encouraged, and implementing a robust browser security solution. – Devin Ertel, CISO at Menlo Security
As cyber threats become more frequent and sophisticated, proactive security measures are essential to staying ahead of attackers. Safer Internet Day is a crucial reminder for organizations to implement a layered security strategy that includes Privileged Access Management (PAM), advanced threat detection and flexible, secure authentication methods.
According to recent research, 80% of organizations are already using or planning to adopt passkeys – reflecting a growing shift toward passwordless authentication. Passkeys and other passwordless solutions enhance security by reducing reliance on traditional passwords, which remain prime targets for phishing and credential-based attacks. In fact, 67% of IT leaders report that their companies struggle to combat phishing, highlighting the need for stronger authentication measures. As passkey adoption accelerates, organizations must deploy PAM solutions capable of securing all credentials – whether passwords, passkeys or secrets – within a zero-trust and zero-knowledge framework.
This Safer Internet Day, prioritize security and usability by integrating modern authentication solutions while maintaining strong password hygiene. A layered approach remains the key to protecting sensitive data and identities. – Darren Guccione, CEO and Co-founder, Keeper Security
Safer Internet Day is a vital reminder of cybersecurity’s critical role in our increasingly interconnected world. As organizations and individuals increasingly depend on digital services and applications, the attack surface grows, underscoring the necessity for robust security measures. This requires a holistic approach to cybersecurity that includes traditional security practices and a thorough understanding of the changing threat landscape and the integration of advanced technologies to manage risk.
Establishing a strong cybersecurity framework involves a multi-faceted strategy centered on API security. This starts with thorough API discovery, which provides full visibility into all APIs within an organization’s complete environment. Such visibility is essential for comprehending the potential attack surface and spotting vulnerabilities. Following this, organizations must enforce strong API governance, ensuring uniform security configurations, effective authentication and authorization strategies, and compliance with industry standards. Lastly, adopting advanced AI-powered behavioral threat protection is crucial for detecting and hindering malicious activities aimed at APIs. This process includes scrutinizing API traffic patterns to identify irregularities and reveal concealed threats that might elude traditional security measures. By merging these components—discovery, governance, and behavioral threat protection—organizations can meaningfully enhance their cybersecurity posture and foster a safer internet for all. – Eric Schwake, Director of Cyber Security Strategy at Salt Security
Practicing Good Digital Hygiene
Scammers and malicious actors will continue to find creative and deceptive ways to achieve their goals. We’re already seeing AI’s impact by malicious actors utilizing it to craft new software and convincing social engineering ruses. Governments can use their regulatory power for enabling the internet industry to find ways to combat and prevent these attacks. There will always be the cat and mouse game with cybercriminals, but larger internet providers should be putting a strong effort into making sure their users are safe. Wide-reaching campaigns usually have a signature or style that can be identified and stopped before damage can be done. Practicing good digital hygiene continues to be the best way to prevent your account from being compromised: keep your software up to date, use long and complex passwords, and enable MFA whenever you can. – Thomas Richards, Principal Consultant – Network Security and Red Team Practice Director at Black Duck
Stopping Cross-Channel Threats
As we approach Safer Internet Day, it’s crucial to highlight how AI-powered attacks in 2025 have made phishing more sophisticated and personal, with attackers now crafting highly convincing messages across email, chat, and collaboration tools that can bypass traditional security measures. Social engineering attacks have evolved beyond simple email scams, including deepfake voice calls and video manipulation that can fool even careful users into sharing sensitive information or transferring funds. To stay safe, people should be extra careful when receiving unexpected communications through any channel – whether it’s a Teams message, a voice call, or an email – and always verify requests through a separate, trusted channel, especially for financial transactions or sharing sensitive data. Modern security tools that can detect and block AI-generated content, alongside strong authentication methods like FIDO2, are becoming essential for protecting against these sophisticated cross-channel threats. – Stephen Kowksi, Field CTO, SlashNext Email+ Security
Become Cyber Resilient
Safer Internet Day is an important initiative that helps inform the public how to use online resources safely and responsibly. It also guides government and business leaders in shaping a more secure internet. This initiative is crucial as the threat from malicious actors continues to grow, putting internet users at risk.
These attacks have adverse effects on users’ personal lives, and they can also impact the integrity of organizations or businesses where the users reside. Organizations should strive to become cyber-resilient, so they can continue to operate even if an attacker breaches their network by any means, including by manipulating or deceiving a user. By utilizing innovative security technology to mitigate these risks, organizations can operate with confidence that they are prepared for the inevitable. – Bob Palmer, Director of Product Marketing, ColorTokens
Reducing Mobile Endpoint Backdoors
Passwords alone won’t protect your enterprise if attackers compromise or control your employee’s mobile device. Strong authentication and backend security are critical, but client-side attacks—like malware, fake devices, rogue networks, and phishing attacks—can bypass even the strongest passwords and undermine server-side defenses.
Attackers don’t need to crack credentials if they can steal them directly from a compromised device or manipulate sessions to gain unauthorized access. This Password Day, go beyond passwords—enforce mobile threat protection, zero-trust policies, and real-time device risk assessments to ensure that compromised mobile endpoints don’t become a backdoor into your enterprise. Because if they own the device, they own the data. – Krishna Vishnubhotla, VP of Mobile Application Security Strategy at Zimperium
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