On Safer Internet Day, February 11, 2014, Microsoft launched the interactive Safer Online website. Every time you made your #Do1Thing promise or shared the website with your social circles, Microsoft made a donation to TechSoup Global.
In less than 24 hours, so many of you promised to #Do1Thing to stay safer that Microsoft donated $50,000 to TechSoup Global! But it wasn’t just the promise alone.
“As communities around the world use the Internet to learn and connect, developing responsible online safety habits is something each of us should act on,” says Rebecca Masisak, CEO of TechSoup Global. “We appreciate being a part of Safer Internet Day. And with your contributions, TechSoup Global will further develop and deliver online safety education training materials and guidance to be shared across our global network.”
So far, people from five continents have shared what they are doing to help create a better Internet. What’s the number one global promise so far? Creating strong passwords and regularly changing them. Other popular responses included: two-step authentication for online accounts, sharing minimal personal information, using secured Wi-Fi connections, and shopping on https-enabled websites.
Of those who answered our Safer Online polling questions:
- Nearly half (47 percent) of participants chose learning as the greatest benefit the Internet has brought to their lives, while 17 percent chose exploring, and 10 percent go online for entertainment purposes.
- Website visitors were also asked which potential online risks concern them the most. Of the nine choices, 28 percent selected financial loss as the most concerning, with 22 percent opting for loss of personal privacy, and 19 percent finding forms of malware on their device the greatest concern.
- Finally, over two thirds (76 percent) of respondents edit or remove online information that may impact their reputation. Learn how to take charge or your online reputation.
If you haven’t done so yet, share your #Do1Thing story, see what others around the world are promising, and get online safety tips to help you stay safer online, today and every day!