Safe Surfing in the Silver Age: IT Security Tips for Seniors

IT security and protection against cyberattacks are important aspects in today's digital world. The safety of seniors online is a particular focus. They should be aware that they are often targets of cybercriminals and cyberattacks who try to steal personal data or install malware on their devices. For this reason, it is important for seniors to take some basic measures online to increase their IT security and overall senior safety.

The most important security measures for seniors online

Online senior safety should be taken seriously and some basic measures should be taken to prevent cyberattacks and protect themselves and their devices.

1. Strong passwords

The first and most important measure against cyberattacks is that seniors online should use strong passwords  and change them regularly. A strong password consists of at least eight characters  and contains letters, numbers and special characters. It is also important for seniors' security that the password is not easy to guess, for example by using the name of a pet or grandchild.

2. Install antivirus software 

The second measure is the use of antivirus software against cyberattacks on devices. Good antivirus software detects cyberattacks and blocks malware before it can cause damage. It is important that antivirus software is regularly updated to counter new threats.

3. Do not open suspicious emails!

As a third measure, seniors online should pay attention to suspicious emails and links. Criminals often try to gain access to personal data or devices through fake emails or links. It is therefore advisable for senior safety not to open emails from unknown senders and not to click on links from untrustworthy websites.

4. Load security updates 

As a fourth measure, seniors online should regularly perform security updates on their devices to prevent cyberattacks. These updates often contain important security patches, i.e., corrected output of application software or system software, which fixes software vulnerabilities and prevents malware from being installed on devices.

As a final measure for senior safety, seniors online should also pay attention to their privacy against cyberattacks. It is important that no personal data such as name, address, phone number or credit card information is shared online for senior safety. If it is necessary to enter personal data online, this should only be done on trustworthy websites.

In general, a healthy skepticism towards unknown emails and links, strong passwords and regular updates are some of the most important steps you can take to increase senior safety.

Interview with IT security expert  for Seniors Online

For today's article on senior safety, we interviewed Pascal Nadler, the specialist for IT security on the internet, about what other measures are useful for protection against cyberattacks.

 

Hello Pascal, please introduce yourself.

I have been working in development at Microsynetics for almost a year and a half. In my computer science studies, I specialized in cybersecurity.

Is it true that more and more people are currently affected by cyberattacks? Why are seniors more often affected, and how can we ensure senior safety online?

Yes, that is correct, and in addition to companies, more and more private individuals are also affected. Seniors are a popular target for cybercriminals and cyberattacks for various reasons: The goal of these is often to get the victims' money. Seniors may have accumulated a larger fortune for retirement during their working lives. Many seniors are also less technically savvy and may not recognize dangers on the internet or misjudge them. In addition, many are also rather gullible, which attackers often exploit. Therefore, senior safety for seniors online is an important topic. 

Are there rules that seniors online should particularly observe?

The supreme rules are to be suspicious and cautious and not to be rattled. Attackers in their cyberattacks and scam attempts often try to pressure their victims, such as seniors online, through various communication channels such as calls, emails, SMS, WhatsApp messages, to act as desired, without giving them time to think.

Therefore, as already mentioned, it is important to stay calm, to be suspicious, and to ask yourself the question: "Does it make sense that I am being contacted by this person via this channel for the stated reason?"

It is always possible to tell the potential attacker, if in doubt, that you need to think about it in peace and will get back to them later, and to break off communication.

It is also always helpful for the safety of seniors to ask relatives for advice. A fairly recent example of cyberattacks is a scam via WhatsApp, in which the perpetrators send the victim a message, impersonating their child with a new number. They claim to be in financial distress to get the seniors online to transfer money as quickly as possible. This alleged financial distress of their own child creates pressure on the victim. This approach falls under so-called social engineering, where the human is seen as a vulnerability.

• Handling personal data for senior safety

It is particularly important for seniors online to be careful with their personal data. Attackers can use information accessible on the internet about their victims to improve their cyberattacks or even enable new cyberattacks. Therefore, it is important not to reveal more than necessary about yourself on the internet. In the example of the WhatsApp scam, for example, the information of the child's name could make the message much more credible and thus more dangerous.

• Secure online shopping for seniors

Seniors online should generally be particularly careful when it comes to money. In the past, for example, there were repeated cases in which seniors online bought from so-called fake shops but never received their ordered goods. In this case, fraudsters set up a webshop, collect the personal data and money of the victims, and then disappear with it.

Here, for the safety of seniors on the internet, it can help to rely on secure payment methods like PayPal, where buyer protection is active, or to generally only pay for ordered goods upon receipt. It is also useful to use shop review portals like Trustedshops or Trustpilot before a purchase to read reviews.

• Protecting online accounts  

Especially important for senior safety is to use a strong and unique password for each online account. The length is more important than the number of different characters used. The Federal Office for Information Security recommends a password length of at least 8 characters. If possible, two-factor authentication should also be activated. A particularly strong password should be used for email accounts. Because if an attacker gains access to the email account, access to all connected accounts is possible by resetting the passwords for each.

What types of cyberattacks are there?

There are many, and new ones are constantly emerging. I will limit myself here to a few common cyberattacks that affect private individuals.

• Password attacks

A common goal of cyberattacks is to obtain the passwords of online account users. There are various methods for this. For example, the brute-force attack, in which all possible passwords are tried automatically, and the dictionary attack, in which password lists of previously obtained passwords are used.

• Phishing

Victims are contacted via contact data obtained by attackers, such as an email address or a phone number, to launch a phishing attack. In phishing, a scammer impersonates someone trustworthy, e.g., a well-known company. The scammer usually wants to get the victim to perform an action that will ultimately cause them harm.

• Identity theft

With further personal data such as address, date of birth, a copy of an ID card, etc., identity theft could be carried out. For example, the perpetrator could impersonate the victim in an online shop and order something to their account.

• Malware (Malicious programs)

Malware, for example, enters the device via phishing, malicious downloads, or by visiting an infected website. Here, different types are distinguished. For example, there is so-called ransomware, which encrypts your files, making them unusable, and only decrypts them and makes them usable again after a ransom payment. Another form is, for example, a keylogger, which records all keyboard input and sends it to the attacker. This allows the attacker to intercept access data for online accounts entered via the keyboard.

What is a phishing email and how do you recognize one?

I already mentioned phishing as a possible cyberattack. In a phishing email, the attacker has chosen email as the contact method for the scam attempt. In the past, it was said that one could look for poor language or missing personal information, such as an incomplete salutation, to recognize a phishing email. This can no longer be relied upon today, as phishing emails are becoming increasingly sophisticated due to AI-powered tools. As already mentioned, here one should pay attention to whether pressure is being built up to carry out some urgent action, such as opening a website and entering personal data. That should set off alarm bells.

How should people proceed if they have opened a phishing email?

Simply opening a phishing email is generally no longer a problem with current mail apps and websites in current web browsers. It only becomes problematic if the instructions in the email are followed and attachments or links in the email are opened. After opening an infected email attachment, the device used should ideally be switched off immediately so that the malware can cause as little damage as possible. Then, relatives with a better technical understanding should be contacted to secure important files and reset the device. In addition, the passwords for all online accounts used on the device should also be reset. Opening a link in the email can also lead to an infection with malware without entering personal data on the opened website. Therefore, the steps mentioned for infected email attachments are also useful here.

Thank you very much for the interview and the valuable tips.