Tag Archive for: Surfing

Older People on the Internet: Keys to Safe Surfing

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Did you know that life expectancy in Spain reached 83.3 years in 2021? This means that we are living longer and longer. And thanks to the development of information and communications technology, we lead more and more connected lives. This presents society with the challenge of providing older people with safe internet surfing. 

The health crisis accelerated connectivity, which ceased to be a trend to become a reality: teleworking is now consolidated, and so is online commerce and entertainment, telemedicine, digital banking and the way we relate to our loved ones, remotely.

In 2021, as a result of the rise of remote activities, Spain became the most targeted country. According to data provided in its latest computer threat report, drafted by the cybersecurity company ESET, Spain suffered more than 51 billion desktop attacks, far more than the attacks unleashed on France (21 billion), Germany (19 billion) and Poland (18 billion). Bad data driven by the growth of teleworking across the globe.  

Older people on the internet: messages and news 

20% of Spain’s population, some nine and a half million people, are elderly. In the current scenario, the number of people over 65 who have gone digital has also grown. In its latest report on the digital divide, the Unión Democrática de Pensionistas y Jubilados de España (Democratic Union of Pensioners and Retired People of Spain), UDP, points out that the regular use of the Internet by this group of people has increased in recent years, from 32.7% in 2017 to 60% in 2021.   

The MayoresUDP Scale points to the exchange of “messages with family and friends” via WhatsApp or SMS as the main use of the internet by the elderly, with 85.1%, followed by 80.8% for people who use the internet to keep themselves well-informed. Other common activities are those related to banking and healthcare, or online shopping. However, it states that among “older, less educated and less affluent people” the various digital activities decrease significantly.   

Older people in cyber danger 

One of the most common complaints among the older population is the lack of technological skills and the need for…

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Safer surfing for seniors: Protect your privacy with these internet safety tips 

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Sixty-three percent of Cox customers ages 57 and older — baby boomers and the Silent Generation — say they worry about online security and privacy.

To help protect yourself from fraud, hacking and scams, here are some tips to keep you and your personal information safe while surfing the web.

Strengthen passwords

According to recent research from Forrester, about one-third of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation use two-factor authentication to confirm their identify when logging into their accounts. And just over half use password or PIN code protection for their smartphones.

Strong passwords should contain:

  • At least seven characters
  • Numbers
  • A special character like an exclamation point or asterisk

Don’t use the same password for different sites. A hacker can gain access to all your accounts if you only use one password. On your smartphone, be sure to set up a four- or six-digit PIN to protect your device.

Consider using two-factor authentication when creating accounts online, which generates a one-time code sent to your mobile device or email to confirm your identity. (AARP)

Two-factor authentication adds another step and a little more time to confirm your identify when signing in to your accounts, but you would spend a lot more time and energy if you had to recover from a data breach.

Opt out of pop-ups

Sometimes hackers disguise their malware as pop-up advertisements or “special offers” when you’re shopping or reading online. Clicking on these pop-ups can lead to viruses or data breaches.

If you encounter a suspicious pop-up message, don’t click on anything in the window. Simply leave the site or close out of your web browser. You can also change your browser settings and block all pop-ups.

Phishing for answers

Sometimes online hackers will send you an email or text message and pretend to be someone they’re not in order to convince you to share valuable information with them, such as your social security number (SSN), address or credit card information. This is called phishing. (Age Safe America)

If you receive a message from an unknown sender, do not respond or click on any links or attachments. Instead, ignore the message or have someone trustworthy see if it’s from a…

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