What is Safer Internet Day?

Safer Internet Day (SID) is a global initiative celebrated annually to promote a safer and more responsible digital world. Originally launched in 2004 by the European Union’s SafeBorders project, it has since expanded to over 180 countries worldwide. The day encourages individuals, organizations, and governments to take proactive steps in tackling online threats, from phishing and deepfake scams to cyberbullying and misinformation.

This blog explores the significance of Safer Internet Day, the rise of social engineering threats like phishing and deepfakes, and how organizations can move beyond awareness to build a security-focused culture.

The Rising Threat of Social Engineering – And Why It’s Everyone’s Problem

Every second, organizations face invisible, human-targeted cyber threats—phishing emails, deepfake scams, fake phone calls (vishing), SMS phishing, and QR phishing. Yet, the primary target in cybersecurity isn’t the technology—it’s the human element: employees, contractors, and partners.

Discover Keepnet’s blog post on The Core Differences Between Human Risk Management & Security Awareness to explore why shifting from basic awareness training to a comprehensive human risk management strategy is significant in defending against evolving cyber threats.

At Keepnet, our vision is clear: to revolutionize the way organizations secure their human layer against social engineering threats. And this Safer Internet Day, we’re making it easier than ever for organizations to fight back.

Bridging the Gap: Awareness vs. Action in Cybersecurity

While employees are increasingly aware of cyber risks, newer threats like Deepfake AI scams, QR phishing, and callback phishing remain unfamiliar to many. Raising awareness about these evolving threats is important, but even awareness does not always lead to secure behavior.

For example, employees may:

• Recognize a phishing email but fail to report it, allowing others to fall victim.
• Understand the risk of tailgating but still let unauthorized individuals enter a secure area.
• Know that insider threats exist but hesitate to escalate suspicious activities.

Security-conscious organizations must go beyond traditional training and embed secure behaviors into daily operations. Encouraging employees to actively report incidents, challenge unauthorized access, and engage in a security-first mindset is critical.

One of the most effective ways to bridge the gap between knowledge and action is through continuous reinforcement and behavioral nudging. To learn more about how to embed security behaviors with nudges, explore our blog post on Top Nudge Examples in Cybersecurity Awareness.

The Cost of Social Engineering Attacks

• 70% of organizations have been victims of fake phone calls (vishing attacks), leading to severe financial and reputational damage (Source).
• Vishing attacks alone cost an average of $14 million per year per organization—and that’s just one attack vector (Source).
• AI-powered scams, deepfake phishing, and QR code attacks are evolving faster than traditional security measures can keep up (Source).

Safer Internet Day isn’t just about personal safety—it’s about securing entire organizations from threats that exploit human psychology, leading to financial losses, compliance fines, and reputational harm.

For Organizations of All Sizes: Free Tools to Strengthen Cybersecurity

Cyber threats do not discriminate—whether you're a small organization, a mid-sized company, or a global enterprise, every organization is a potential target. Keepnet’s free tools are designed to be accessible and effective for organizations of all sizes, helping teams enhance their security posture without additional costs.

Free Phishing Simulation Test – Assess your employees' phishing awareness by simulating real-world phishing attacks. Learn their phishing risk score and take proactive steps to reduce vulnerabilities.

Free Security Awareness Training – Train employees against cyber threats that cause data breaches and ransomware. Achieve 100% coverage and up to 95% risk reduction with engaging, structured training modules.

Free Phishing Email Analysis – Upload and analyze suspicious emails with an AI-powered threat detection service integrated with 20+ analysis engines and real-time threat-sharing data. Utilizing these free resources allows organizations to:

• Test their existing security measures against real-world phishing threats.
• Educate employees with engaging awareness materials.
• Identify vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them.
• Improve their human layer of defense, which remains the most targeted aspect of cybersecurity.

These tools provide a simple yet impactful way to implement security best practices and reduce risk, regardless of company size.

Exclusive Free Resources for Safer Internet Day

This Safer Internet Day, Keepnet is providing exclusive free cybersecurity resources to help organizations protect against social engineering attacks. These resources are designed to move beyond simple awareness and embed secure behaviors into workplace culture.

Free Security Testing & Analysis Tools

Keepnet’s free security tools enable organizations to test email security, analyze phishing threats, and assess employee awareness through real-world attack simulations.

Free Breach and Attack Simulation: Test your email security solutions by simulating real-world phishing attacks and uncover vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them.

Free Phishing Email Analysis – Upload a suspicious email and receive an AI-driven analysis using over 20 advanced threat detection engines.

Limited-Time AI Phishing Simulation (up to 500 Users) – Assess your employees' phishing awareness with realistic AI-powered simulations, covering:

• Email phishing – Simulated malicious emails to test employee responses.
• Smishing (SMS phishing) – Fake text messages designed to lure users into scams.
• Vishing (Voice phishing) – AI-driven fake phone calls targeting sensitive information.
• QR code phishing – Fraudulent QR codes leading to malicious websites.
• Callback phishing – Fake support numbers tricking employees into revealing credentials.

Cybersecurity Awareness & Training Resources

Keepnet also offers a range of cybersecurity awareness resources, from visual reminders and hands-on guides to in-depth research and real-life case studies, helping organizations turn awareness into action.

• Posters – Visually engaging workplace reminders on best cybersecurity practices to reinforce daily awareness.
• Tip Sheets – Concise, hands-on guides to help employees detect phishing attacks and prevent data breaches.
• Whitepapers – In-depth reports covering industry trends, best practices, and advanced cybersecurity insights.
• Research Reports – Data-driven research uncovering the latest cybersecurity risks and solutions.
• Keepnet Real Life Security Awareness Training Series – Real-life case studies of cyber attacks, educating organizations on how to prevent similar threats.

These free resources effectively allow organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity defenses, train employees, and reduce risk—all at no cost.

The Power of Nudging: Small Prompts, Big Security Wins

Traditional security training is important, but employees often forget key lessons when faced with real-world threats. Small, well-timed prompts help organizations guide employees to make safer decisions without disrupting their workflow.

However, nudging should remind employees about risks and reinforce secure behaviors. For example:

• A Slack or Microsoft Teams reminder encourages employees to report phishing emails instead of deleting them.
• A physical poster near office entrances reminding employees to stop tailgaters and challenge unauthorized visitors.
• An email pop-up reinforcing that insider threat indicators should be reported, even if they seem minor.

Organizations can also integrate nudging into workplace communication tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and email notifications to make security awareness a seamless part of daily work routines.

To explore how nudges can enhance security awareness and drive behavioral change, check out our blog post on What is the Nudge Theory for Security Awareness.

The Provocative Truth: Your Organization is Being Targeted

Cybercriminals don’t need to hack your network—they just need to convince an employee to click a link, share a password, or approve a fake invoice.

Phishing isn’t a technical problem; it’s a human behavior problem.

Ignoring these threats can lead to devastating consequences—data breaches, financial fraud, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. The IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 found that the global average data breach cost reached $4.88 million, highlighting the financial risks of weak cybersecurity.

Ignoring these threats can lead to devastating consequences—data breaches, financial fraud, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. The IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 found that the global average data breach cost reached $4.88 million, highlighting the financial risks of weak cybersecurity.

Join Keepnet in Making the Internet Safer

Cybercriminals don’t need to hack your systems—they just need to trick an employee into clicking a link, sharing credentials, or approving a fake invoice. Keepnet helps organizations stop these attacks before they succeed by turning employees from the weakest link into the first line of defense.

• Run a phishing simulation to test your employees’ ability to recognize and respond to phishing attacks.
• Detect and respond to email threats faster with Keepnet’s automated phishing incident response tool. This tool helps identify and neutralize malicious emails 48.6 times faster than traditional methods.
• Transform employee behavior with Security Awareness Training, and your organization's security culture will strengthen. Up to 90% of high-risk security actions can be reduced.

This Safer Internet Day, take action to reduce human risk, strengthen security culture, and prevent costly breaches.

Check out how the Keepnet Human Risk Management Platform helps organizations identify vulnerabilities, train employees, and fight back against social engineering attacks.