According to the report, 20% of Internet users overall have older relatives that have encountered malicious software, and 14% have older relatives that have fallen for fake prize draws online.
In addition, 13% have older relatives that have shared too much personal information about themselves online and 12% have older relatives that have become the victim of an online scam, seen inappropriate/ explicit content, or communicated with dangerous strangers online.
“On the one hand, it’s great to see that so many over-55s are using the Internet to shop, bank and stay connected with loved ones. The report shows clearly that this generation is embracing a connected life, and all of the opportunities that come with it. On the other hand, however, it’s clear that the over-55s are not doing enough to protect themselves properly. Worryingly, they don’t even believe they are a target for cybercriminals, but they are putting themselves in danger time and again,” says Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business at Kaspersky Lab.
“At Kaspersky Lab, we are urging older Internet users to become more aware of the dangers they face online, and to act in a more cyber-savvy manner. We are also encouraging younger Internet users to help their older relatives and friends to better protect themselves from the very real threats posed by cybercriminals. Being vigilant online, as well as installing reliable security solutions and ensuring high privacy settings on all devices used to access the Internet, will ensure a happy and healthy connected life,” he concludes.
To find out more about older users’ online behavior and the threats they face online, please visit this page. You can also check your own level of cyber-savviness here: https://blog.kaspersky.com/cyber-savvy-quiz/. To read more tips on how to protect yourself online, click here: https://blog.kaspersky.com/tag/cybersavvy.
