There seems to be a name for every day of the year.

You only need to hop onto https://www.daysoftheyear.com/ to see for yourself.

And with tomorrow being Safer Internet Day, it’s only appropriate for me to give you some practical tips on how to access the web safely.

In no particular order, here are some pointers, so you can browse the internet with confidence.

 

WEB BROWSER
Use a browser that’s known for its security features. And make sure it’s kept up to date with the latest version.

The one I recommend these days is Brave. And that’s because it…

1) Blocks all ads,
2) Blocks all those annoying cookie prompts,
3) Prevents you from being tracked online,
4) And lets you browse quicker than other applications.

Safari, Chrome & Firefox are the most common of other browsers, but you’ll need to install specific browser extensions to match Brave’s default security.

ANTIVIRUS PROTECTION
Choose a highly rated security package. And again, make sure it’s kept up to date.

Bitdefender, Norton and Avast score quite highly in recent studies.

OPERATING SYSTEM (OS)
Whether you have a Mac or Windows computer, both systems should already be configured to automatically install the latest OS and security updates.

Also make sure to have the latest version of the OS. Otherwise, you could be using an unsupported OS, which is no longer being updated. This will be the case for PC’s running Windows 10 beyond October 2025, that are not compatible with Windows 11.

SECURE CONNECTIONS
Stick to using a private connection as much as you can. Your home or business router is defined as a private connection.

NON-SECURE CONNECTIONS
When you connect to a public and shared network at a hotel or coffee shop, be extra cautious.

Without you knowing, someone else on the same network could take advantage of the weak wifi security and compromise other devices, by spreading a virus or some other nasty.

My advice is to always connect via a VPN when using a public wifi. And especially so, if you intend on carrying out any kind of financial transactions.

PHISHING
Be very sceptical with all your emails. If something doesn’t look quite right, DO NOT click on any of the links within, and don’t reply to any nuisance emails out of frustration.

If in doubt, delete.

LIMIT YOUR SHARING
The amount of information that’s available online is quite scary. Especially if you’re a regular user of social media.

My advice is to limit what you enter online to the bare minimum. Only share what you have to.