Annually, Safer Internet Day unites several organizations and individuals in the promotion of awareness activities for the dangers of the internet, identifying safety practices of this means of communication.

At a time when we are using the Internet more and more and for the most basic actions of our day, we have also become more exposed to several dangers that did not exist before. Cyberbullying, phishing, bank data theft: all this we have to be aware today in order to use the internet without being harmed. A report by Europol and the United Nations in 2016 said that in that year the global cybercrime industry surpassed for the first time the turnover of drug trafficking, amounting to 445 billion dollars.

With the growth of the Internet of Things, the number of potentially vulnerable devices is skyrocketing. This will be a challenge for consumers, who are increasingly using Internet-connected equipment at home.

The ease of making payments through the internet has also made it easier for citizens. Although Internet payment services are very secure today, many people still fall into computer frauds, revealing bank information through emails, for example.

Next, we'll give you 4 tips to increase day-to-day safety:

• Constantly update devices, software and internet browser;

• Do not open emails with suspicious attachments;

• Have a strong password, frequently renewed and backed by two-factor authentication;

• Review privacy settings on social networks, avoiding unnecessary sharing of personal information.

For parents with children, it is also recommended to promote safe use of the internet with these advices:

• Do not let your child use the internet alone in the room;

• Try to understand the tastes of the child when using the internet, to be able to miss behaviours less healthy;

• Explore the games and services they like, paying attention to all privacy and security features, not just parental controls.