Cybersecurity for Seniors
What is Cybersecurity and Why is it Important for You?
Cybersecurity refers to protecting the things we care about online, like our personal information. Understanding cybersecurity is important for everyone because, like locking the front door of your house, it allows us to lock down the information that can be used by malicious people to harm us. Cybersecurity is the set of habits, tools, and protections we use to keep that sensitive information safe.
Unfortunately, malicious actors frequently target older individuals and senior citizens in financially based attacks. According to the FBI’s 2025 IC3 Report, individuals of ages 60 and older reported losses of $7.7 billion as a result of internet crime. However, many cases of fraud go unreported, so the actual figure is likely higher than the one presented. Let’s learn how to avoid becoming an attacker’s next target!
Scams to Look Out For
Phishing by Text, Email, and Phone Call:
In a phishing scam, a malicious person is usually messaging you or speaking with you over the phone; the person will work to gain your trust so they can influence you. Phishing can happen over text, email, phone call, video message, and can even happen face-to-face. In a phishing scam, the phisher is aiming to create a sense of urgency and panic, so you act on their requests without thinking critically first.
Sometimes, these scammers will seek out personal information that is often used in passwords, like the names of pets, hometowns, birthdays, etc. The goal of a scammer is usually to secure financial gain—sometimes, they will ask for financial information outright. Other times, scammers will be looking for passwords, which they can then use to attempt breaking into accounts which contain personal and financial information, like an online banking portal.
Impersonation Scams:
In an impersonation scam, a scammer impersonates an official or established entity like the IRS, the Social Security Administration, a bank, Amazon, or Microsoft. The entity the scammer is impersonating usually has some sort of authority, like a government agency who can threaten jail time and fines. Often, these messages from scammers will demand money, passwords, or personal information urgently, or else some sort of consequence will be incurred by you.
These scammers create a sense of urgency and fear, which makes you less likely to look carefully at the message or details that would give the scammer away. When a text, email, letter, or phone call from a supposedly official organization looks or feels strange, odds are, it is not legitimate!
Tech Support Scams:
On your computer, you may see a strange popup or email with a message along the lines of “WARNING! A virus has been detected!” written in bold lettering across the screen. Or you may receive a phone call from ‘Microsoft’ claiming a similar message. If this happens, don’t click any links or buttons, don’t call the number on the screen, and don’t panic—there’s a good chance that it’s a scam.
The goal of scammers here is often to gain remote access to your computer, steal bank information, or make you pay for fake repairs.
Family Emergency/Grandparent Scams:
Family emergency and grandparent scams are particularly nefarious because in these scams, attackers impersonate your loved ones. Sometimes, these bad actors will go as far as using AI-generated deepfakes to sound or appear like your loved one over the phone or video chat.
In a family emergency or grandparent scam, the scammer will pretend to be a loved one, like a grandchild, in an emergency that requires immediate financial assistance. As an example, a scammer may claim they are your grandchild needing money because their car broke down and they need help paying for a tow truck and repairs.
Romance and Companionship Scams:
Scammers will sometimes target seniors who are looking for companionship or a romantic partner online through a romance and companionship scam. In these scams, an attacker claims to be romantically interested in someone (or is just acting as a platonic online companion), then uses their relationship with the victim to request money, gifts, or other things of financial value. Often, these scammers will make plans to meet their targets, but the plans will be spoiled before the two can meet in person, or even via video chat. These tend to be long-term scams where the attacker continually uses the relationship to request more money.
How to Stay Safe Online
Understanding what to look out for is the fist step. Next, let’s dive into what you can do to protect yourself online.
Don’t click the links and Hang Up the Phone
When you see a text, email, or receive a phone call that seems suspicious, always take the time to verify that it’s legitimate. Don’t click on any links in emails or texts (unless you know with certainty that you can trust the sender). Don’t hesitate to call known contact numbers to verify whether a message is real.
If you’re not sure whether a call is legitimate, hang up and call the supposed sender directly. As an example, if you get a call from your ‘bank’ claiming there is an urgent issue, hang up and call your bank from a phone number you know is legitimate. Usually, a business or organization’s website will list the correct phone number to call for help.
In the same vein, if it seems like your grandchild is calling asking for immediate help, hang up and call them directly from their contact on your phone to verify that the request is real. The scammer may claim that they are borrowing a phone or are using a new phone number. Don’t trust that, always verify!
For more information on how to respond to phishing attempts, check out our Deepfake Scams and Can Attackers Use AI Too? blog posts.
Use Unique Passwords and MFA
Using unique passwords is so important because if a hacker, scammer, or other attacker guesses a password for one account (like your Facebook), they aren’t given free access to other accounts too. Using unique passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a great way to limit the amount of damage a hacker can do.
Keep Your Secrets Secret and Your Personal Information Personal
Never give out your passwords, verification codes, card numbers, or personal information over the phone, email, text, or any other medium, if you can avoid it. To practice the best cybersecurity habits, these things should stay secret or exclusive to people who need to know the information.
Watch out for the online quizzes and interactive social media posts asking questions like “What is your dog’s name?”, “How many kids do you have?”, or “What month were you born in?” These often seem totally harmless and like a fun way to share something about yourself with the world, but the information you give away can also be used to guess passwords and answers to security questions. Always use discretion when putting your personal information online.
Use Security Settings
On social media sites like Facebook, set up your security settings so only friends can see your posts. This way, you have much more control over who can access the personal information you share online.
Before accepting any friend requests, always check out the profile. Scam social media profiles usually contain suspicious generic information, although the name and profile picture may mimic someone you know. Scam accounts will have likely been created recently, will only have one or 2 photos, and will have only a few non-personal posts.
Staying secure online can be tricky! Hackers and scammers get more clever and more creative every day, so there are frequently new scams to be aware of. SKB Cyber is always happy to help you stay informed, so you don’t end up being a scammer’s next target. For any questions, reach out to us at info@skbcyber.com or contact us at skbcyber.com!