As many of you know, my profession is IT, and in particular, IT security.

Recently I received an email from a lady called Olivia, who’s grandma was almost scammed out of a significant sum of money but luckily Olivia intervened in time.  In researching ways to stay safe online, she came across one of our older articles https://www.caerlaverock.org.uk/scam-session-at-the-nith-update/ and Olivia has suggested we posted the excellent blog linked below which may help some folk.

Staying safe on the internet can be very confusing for some, particularly our more senior residents. Risks such as credential harvesting, phishing and scams are an increasing threat and some are very, very convincing. The use of email as a delivery mechanism for these is perhaps the most significant threat vector at the moment.

The blog in the following link is an excellent guide to helping them stay safe and might be worth sharing with those at risk.

The Ultimate Internet Safety Guide for Seniors in 2024

Whilst the content of this article is great, you’ll need to ignore (should you choose to) the various adverts etc. Another thing we can’t get away from these days!

Note that CCA are in no way affiliated or responsible for the content of this link.

With my security hat on, there’s a couple of key things I’d point out too:

  • Don’t click links in an email if you don’t know the sender or you weren’t expecting it.
  • If you get one of the standard “your account is about to be locked” type emails or similar and you do actually have an account with whoever it is, do not click the link, do not phone the number in the email. Instead, if you are concerned, phone the main number for them that you can find on either your paperwork or their primary website.
  • The old adage of “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.” is definitely the case. You’ll often find Facebook full of these. ie: Closing down sale, buy this for just £1 etc. Don’t be fooled. Many, many people have lost money on these scams. It’s beyond me why Facebook permit them.
  • Keep your devices updated. Yes, it’s a pain but the security patches that manufacturers issue are important and definitely help protect you.
  • If in doubt, ask someone what they think. Better safe than sorry and no-one will think less of you for asking.

Cyber/IT Security is a huge topic and I could talk about it all day! In the end, being vigilant is probably the key thing.

Thanks Olivia for prompting this blog post.