Click wisely: Promoting online safety during European Cybersecurity Month

Hilda received a text message from her bank asking her to click a link if she didn’t want her bank card to be blocked. She followed the instructions, only to discover later that money had been transferred from her bank account. Her experience is a reminder of how easily a seemingly legitimate message can lead to a costly mistake and why it is important to know how to spot online threats.

We spend a lot of our daily lives online. Moving to a digital world has brought with it many opportunities, but also many challenges, one of which is cybersecurity. During the month of October, various activities take place across Europe, as part of the EU’s annual campaign dedicated to promoting cybersecurity among EU citizens and organisations.

The campaign, which is co-ordinated by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) , the Commission and EU countries, brings together hundreds of partners from Europe and beyond. You can take part in conferences, workshops, trainings, webinars, presentations and more to raise awareness and good practices. This year, the focus is on phishing , a method that consists of tricking individuals into disclosing sensitive personal information, like bank account details and passwords. It is the primary method for initial intrusion in cyberattacks.

Cyberattacks are used to steal data, spy on users, disable or manipulate computers and more. They not only target personal computers but also entire networks, and can be carried out by individual hackers, groups of hackers or even countries. There are many different ways you can protect yourself against these threats :

🔒 manage your passwords

🗃️ back up your data regularly

🪪adjust your privacy settings and

🦹 protect yourself against social engineering.

The EU addresses these challenges through its cybersecurity policies and cybersecurity strategy . They aim to tackle cybersecurity threats, improve resilience, and reinforce the EU’s response to cyberattacks, helping to protect citizens and build a strong digital society. In January 2026, the Commission proposed to revise the Cybersecurity Act to further strengthen the EU's cybersecurity capabilities and resilience by enhancing the security of information and communication technology supply chains and ensuring that digital products reaching EU citizens are secure by design.

European Cybersecurity Month

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