As the world prepares for Safer Internet Day on 10 February 2026, KnowBe4 is encouraging individuals of all ages to adopt a mindset of ‘digital mindfulness’ to stay safe online. This year’s theme, ‘Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI’, highlights the urgent need for a new set of digital skills in the world of AI.
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) now a permanent fixture in the lives of children and young people, the ability to distinguish between authentic and AI-generated content is no longer just a technical skill – it is a core life skill. KnowBe4 is urging individuals to move beyond passive consumption and take an active, mindful role in their online safety.
The explosive use of AI for deepfake photos, audio, and videos has made it more important than ever to be cautious about what we believe. Whether it’s an eager-to-please AI chatbot or a highly convincing social media scam, the best defence is to slow down and verify before acting.
To support Safer Internet Day, below are a set of guidelines to help individuals navigate this new landscape safely.
Navigating the AI World
- Treat AI like an eager intern: AI is confident and its intention may be good but it doesn’t always provide the right information. Approach AI-generated information with healthy skepticism. Before acting on its output, ask for sources and sanity-check any information involving money, safety or emotions with a trusted human or official site.
- Verify before you share: Social media algorithms often prioritise engagement over accuracy. Be aware that fake accounts use outrageous claims or AI-generated images to drive clicks – known as ‘clickbait’. Always double-check images or headlines before sharing them with your network.
- Guard your personal details: AI tools allow bad actors to analyse public data to create highly personalised, believable scams. Unless there is a specific reason to be public, keep social media accounts restricted to friends and family to limit the data available for these attacks.
Building Digital Resilience
- Practice digital mindfulness: This practice involves doing one thing at a time and can help us make safer choices online. Many attacks succeed not because of a lack of knowledge, but because a user was distracted or frazzled in the moment. Digital mindfulness also means paying attention to our online safety, perhaps by proactively reviewing our privacy settings, enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) and installing a password manager.
- Master the ‘Big Two’: Most cyber exploits rely on two things: tricking a human (social engineering) or exploiting unpatched software. Individuals should concentrate on learning how to not be tricked because it’s the easiest way to stay safe. Then make sure your software and firmware are patched in a timely manner.
- Adopt phishing-resistant MFA: Traditional passwords are no longer enough. Use phishing-resistant MFA to protect valuable data. For situations where a password is required, use a password manager to create and use truly random passwords that are as long and complex as possible, and unique for every site or service.
- The 25-character rule: If you must make up a password out of your head then you need to create a 25-character or longer passphrase (e.g. rogerjumpedoverthebluecowandfish). This length provides a critical buffer against modern AI-driven password cracking and emerging quantum threats.
Safer Internet Day 2026 is a reminder for young people and adults alike to rethink online safety in light of the impact of AI. By combining technical defences like MFA with behavioural changes such as digital mindfulness, individuals can navigate the modern digital landscape with greater security and confidence.
