This year's Safeonweb campaign, which will be disseminated through various media, aims to draw attention to a particular theme: the security of mobile devices.
Learn how to properly secure your smartphone
Everyone, from the very young to the very old, has a smartphone in their pocket these days. We use it for more and more applications: to stay in touch with friends, to make purchases, to watch films, to play games or to do homework.
- 93% of Flemish people (16+) have a smartphone in their pocket and 59% also have a tablet at their disposal (IMEC, Digimeter 2021, p.24 ev.).
- 96% of Walloon households have at least one mobile device at their disposal. This is 4% more than in 2019. (Baromètre 2021 de maturité numérique des citoyens wallons, pp.4-6)
Mobile malware is on the rise
Criminals and scammers see a great opportunity in this. They develop viruses specifically designed to target mobile devices and go on the attack in full force.
The cyber attack that worried us the most in 2021, affecting ordinary internet users, was undoubtedly the spread of the FLUBOT virus. More than 11,000 smartphones were infected with this virus in no time because users carelessly downloaded an application. This allowed the virus to spread unnoticed to all the victims' contacts. An infected device sometimes sent out more than 10 000 messages. Between 6 and 13 September 2021, an average of 2 million messages per day were detected and blocked by operators. (Figures BIPT, 2021)
OK is not always OK!
Keeping your smartphone safe is not that difficult. The main way devices get infected is by downloading dodgy apps. Therefore, be careful if you receive an e-mail or a text message asking you to download an app. Chances are you will install a dangerous app or even a virus via an unsafe app shop.
You can also keep your smartphone safe by:
- Always be very careful if you receive an email or text message asking you to download an app. Chances are you will install a dangerous app or even a virus via a less safe app shop.
- Get a warning asking you to install a dodgy app? Stop installing the app immediately.
- When you install an app, it often asks for access to other data: e.g. your photos, your contacts or your location. Only give permission if it is necessary and useful for using the app.
- Do you get asked to perform updates? Do it as soon as possible.
During the campaign we want to draw attention to the issue through radio spots, social media videos, banners and other campaign materials.
We need your help to disseminate the campaign material, which is available at https://www.safeonweb.be/en/campaign-material
The material may be used freely for non-commercial purposes and provided that the source is acknowledged. We only ask that you :
- Do not remove any logos.
- Do NOT change the slogans.
Here are the hashtags you can use on social media: #OKisnotalwaysok OK #safeonweb #CyberSecMonth
