Anina Steele | Senior PR Manager
It's that day of the year again - the time⏳ when we celebrate 🥳 Emoji Day on 📅 17 July. You might be wondering 🤔, what is Emoji Day, and what does it have to do with cybersecurity🛡? And you might think 💭 why should security 🔒 professionals even care? Well, emojis are everywhere and used in all types of digital communication 🗣️—from our personal lives and into business communications 📁, marketing and advertising 📊, throughout social media platforms 🖥️, and even political communications. As security professionals, we care about protecting 🛡and safeguarding 💂♀️everyone’s digital identity, which is at constant risk through our widespread digital communication. Emojis are just another language that we communicate in, and reports 📈have shown that 92% of the world's online population uses emojis, and 66% of emoji users appreciate it when their colleagues 👨🏿💻use them in work communication 👩🏽💻.
Why Use Emojis in our Digital Communication?
Emoji Day is a day to celebrate the representation of emotions 😀😒😢🥹🤪 in our digital communication💻🗨️, enabling us to be more human and personable in an ever-remote workplace. And more and more often, those at work and play are increasing the use of emojis in their interactions, reinforcing positives 🙂👍🏽, or congratulating 👏 . And would you believe emojis have now been around for 30 years🦕, so even I know how to use them (or sometimes, but more about that later!). However, as always with digital communication, there are security concerns 🪪and safe practices ✅that should be followed. So, here are some best practices ☑️ to help keep your communications safe and your digital identity secure 🔐. As half of the globe 🌏now rolls into summer ☀️our thoughts are on holidays and travel ✈️ 🚂⛴️🏨🐫, and now more than ever is the time to be vigilant ☠️☠️☠️. So while you are traveling or in your holiday locations, communicating 🗣️freely about your day 🏖️☀️🍸🏊♀️, remember that cybercriminals don’t take vacations! 🦹
In the airport 🛫:
- Before even reaching for your mobile (unless for using downloaded digital tickets, boarding passes, or ID), ensure you have checked in 🧳and are at the correct gate. You don't want to miss that flight ✈️
- If you log in using the airport's open wifi, please enable your VPN app. You don't want some sharky 🦈 individual to fish your personal data or credentials 🪪.
- Log in to your account, but after you have enabled 2FA or MFA 📲
- Be conscious of what you share and to whom - privacy matters everywhere 🔏
- Be careful; time to onboard the flight. Disconnect now! 🔌
On the beach 🏖️:
- Before connecting to your favorite social media, apply sunscreen 🧴 - as you may not notice spending several hours in the digital realm while the sun ☀️burns your skin 🦞.
- Help yourself to a cold drink often - maybe a mate 🧉 or a cold beer 🍺, a refreshing mocktail or cocktail 🍹, but if you log in to the beach bar's open wifi, please enable your VPN app. You don't want some snakey 🐍individual to phish 🎣 your personal data or credentials 🪪
- Log in to your account, but after you have enabled 2FA or MFA 📲
- Be conscious of what you share and to whom - privacy matters, especially on the beach where we want to feel relaxed and comfortable 👙🩲🩳🩱
- Least risk-limit your time on your mobile. You are on holiday - get in the sea and play in the waves 🌊🌊🌊, or take a long stroll along the wet sand!
On a boat ⛴️:
- Before connecting to your mobile, make sure you don't lose your return tickets 🎟️
- The trip might open your appetite, so maybe enjoy a coffee ☕️ from the bar and a sandwich🥪, but if you log in using the boat's open wifi, please enable your VPN app to avoid being phished 🎣
- Log in to your account, but after you have enabled 2FA or MFA 📲
- Be careful what you share and to whom - privacy matters everywhere, even in the open sea 🌊
- Limit your time on your screen 📱and enjoy the trip 🍸 📷, especially if you are reaching many picturesque islands 🏝️
If you are using emojis, to avoid any potential tracking🕵️🔍, sticking to the official emoji deck is the best way to go. Here you will find a plethora of icons to visually express your appreciation 👏, emphasis ‼️, add direction ↗️➡️, or repeat 🔁. Emojis allow us to express ourselves more fully in an otherwise flat text environment 🖥️ or digital space in a globally recognizable way. And as I read 📖, they are a way "to indulge the fun-loving side of your soul by adding a little life to your text". A word of warning⚡️, though! Make sure that the image you choose depicts the word or meaning you want to convey, not something else ❌. Some of the icons carry two meanings, and just like with any language, an incorrect interpretation might have outcomes that are very different from what you might anticipate. 🍑 or 🍆 can = 😮🤭🤣.
When using emojis think of the safety of your data and protect yourself against cyberattacks and malware.
Happy Emoji-ing!