DO you feel safe going online? You should feel no apprehension if you have in place all the necessary safety nets. This means a firewall, anti-virus software, spam filter and also anti-spyware program that protect from hackers, viruses and spyware.

More than this, you should feel secure online if you regularly keep your computer’s operating system updated with the recommended patches and also on a regular basis update the anti-virus software. This is crucial as hackers and spammers are always finding new ways to penetrate computers, and it will be only wise to be ahead of them.

On a wireless network, you can feel safe when using the Internet if you use encryption, Wi-Fi protected access, have switched off SSID broadcast and of course a password to access the wireless access point. With these measures in place, freeloaders, hackers and eavesdropping can be kept at bay.

Being safe online does require some effort but not many people are aware that they need to do all these to protect themselves from online criminals and have a safe online experience. A random check with friends and family revealed that many go online without giving much thought about Internet security.

While the tech savvy may be aware, there is a need to educate and constantly remind other users to take responsibility and be safe online. Perhaps, just like the road safety campaigns, we ought to have online safety campaigns to constantly remind the naive and careless. In the United Kingdom, Nov 12 to 16 is Get Safe Online Week. It is organised by GetSafeOnline.org which is sponsored by the British government and leading businesses.

The aim of the programme is to make people realise that they have to take responsibility and do their bit to stay safe online. The Get Safe Online campaign will be travelling around the UK offering independent, expert advice on how users can stay safe and secure when using the Internet. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry.