Kaspersky experts have warned against cyber threats targeting those over 65, who are introduced to the Internet later. With technology such as social media, mobile banking and dating apps, it is now used by people of all ages all over the world. According to the research conducted by Kaspersky, it is stated that the increase in cyber-attacks targeting the people over the age of 65, who are especially introduced to the internet later on, is remarkable. For the pre-internet generation called Digital Immigrants, it is of great importance to be aware of such cyber attacks and to take adequate precautions against them.
Social media fraud is at the top of the threats!
Social media scams are at the top of the threats. As the pre-internet generation started to use social media widely, the number of these threats is increasing.
Threats on the Internet can cause older individuals to face many threats ranging from financial loss to emotional damage. Cyber threats to the elderly can appear in the form of phishing attacks, fake technical support calls or messages. Fake romantic relationships and marriage promises through social media or apps are also among these threats. The pre-internet generation, unaware of the threats, becomes unique targets for cyber attackers and can be easily deceived by these tricks.
Fake websites and identity theft crimes are on the rise!
According to research by Kaspersky, in 2022 alone, Kaspersky systems detected and prevented 500 million cyber attacks. Among these cyber attacks, fake websites and phishing links have a large proportion. Cybercriminals try to mislead users with web addresses that are quite similar to their original web addresses. At this point, this situation can pose a threat for the elderly, who cannot distinguish the difference from the original sites on these websites.
In order not to be a victim of cyber threats, it is necessary to first become aware of these cyber threats and then take the necessary measures. Kaspersky experts warned digital immigrants to pay attention to the following points:
“Do not click on unsafe and unsafe links and avoid sharing personal information.
Always use original mobile banking applications for banking transactions. Avoid sharing your personal banking information on websites. Clicking on risky websites may result in theft of data in your banking apps as well as all apps on your phone.
Take care to use strong passwords to ensure the security of your personal information and application data. Another fact that makes digital immigrants a target for cybercriminals is that the same password is used for all accounts without changing it for a long time. Thus, cybercriminals can easily access all other account passwords and data by accessing the password of a single account. You can use Kaspersky Password Manager to ensure the security of your phone and application data. This product from Kaspersky not only recommends strong and distinctive passwords for you, but also securely stores all your passwords for you in case you forget them.
Avoid interacting with accounts on social media that you suspect are real people. Whatever these accounts promise, be careful not to share your personal information in any way.
Be careful when sharing your personal information on dating apps. You should always consider the possibility that the account you are communicating with in these applications is a fake account.
If you are not sure that the technical support calls or messages sent to you are from the real source, do not respond and do not share your personal information. Prefer to reach customer service in case you need technical support.”