The (ISC)² Foundation charitable trust has announced an addition to its Safe and Secure Online program to educate senior citizens on how to safely navigate cyber-space.
The firm is introducing the initiative in honor of Senior Citizens’ Day on August 21, with the goal of empowering a particularly vulnerable group to understand the dangers of the digital era, take the proper precautions and protect themselves online.
“Senior citizens simply did not grow up with the technologies that we rely on today to function on a daily basis” said Julie Franz, director at the (ISC)² Foundation. “They are often prime targets of fraud, malware, social engineering tactics and other forms of malicious online behavior. It is our intent, through Safe and Secure Online for Seniors, to equip senior citizens with the knowledge they need to enjoy a safe online experience.”
Using interactive presentation materials, (ISC)²-certified cybersecurity experts will work directly with seniors in public meeting forums to cover timely, critical topics that affect the senior community.
Some of the topics covered include: cybersecurity terms; computer protection; password help; phishing; malware; Wi-Fi connections; geotagging; and online scams.
“As someone with an elderly father who enjoys exploring the nuances of the digital world with little regard for the security implications, I certainly understand the urgent need to protect senior citizens online,” said David Shearer, CEO at (ISC)².
Through Safe and Secure Online, (ISC)² member volunteers have helped more than 165,000 children, parents and teachers since 2006 in Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States learn how to protect themselves online and to become responsible digital citizens.
“I believe that a free program like this, taught by (ISC)²-certified cybersecurity experts, would be very beneficial to senior citizens as more aspects of their everyday lives go digital,” Shearer added. “We’re always looking at more ways to help raise the level of cybersecurity awareness throughout the community through the (ISC)² Foundation, and I’m proud to see this program come to fruition.”