STOP THINK CONNECT CAMPAIGN - NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS FOR SENIORS
United States Government. National Cyber Security Alliance. (NCSA)
Program Description
"Just as you use locks to keep criminals out of your home, you also need safeguards to secure your computer."
"Many of the crimes that occur in real life are now done-or at least facilitated-through the Internet. Human trafficking, credit card fraud and identity theft, embezzlement, and more-all can be and are being done online."
"Many scammers target older Americans via emails and websites for charitable donations, online dating services, online auctions, buyer's clubs, health insurance, prescription medications, and health care."
–source: National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign for Older Americans
The Stop Think Connect Campaign stands for:
STOP: Before you use the Internet, take time to understand the risks and learn how to spot potential problems.
THINK: Take a moment to be certain the path ahead is clear. Watch for warning signs and consider how your actions online could impact your safety or your family’s safety.
CONNECT: Enjoy the Internet with greater confidence knowing you’ve taken the right steps to safeguard yourself and your computer.
In addition to increasing awareness of Internet safety the National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign is working to engage the American public to acknowledge and commit to the shared responsibility of securing cyberspace.
The National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign for Seniors details the following threats and recommendations for Internet safety tips for seniors:
Identity theft:
• Choose a password that means something to you, use strong passwords with eight characters or more that uses a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols.
• Do not reveal personally identifiable information online such as: your full name, telephone number, address, social security number, insurance policy number, credit card information etc.
• Don’t open emails from strangers and don’t click on links for unfamiliar sites.
• When making online donations, make sure any charity you donate to is a legitimate non-profit organization and that you type in the web site address instead of following a link.
• Shred bank and credit card statements before throwing them in the trash; talk to your bank about using passwords and photo identification on credit cards and bank accounts.
• Check bank and credit card statements monthly for unusual charges.
Fraud & Phishing:
• Most organizations – banks, universities, companies, etc. - don’t ask for your personal information over email. Beware of requests to update or confirm your personal information.
• Do not open attachments, click links, or respond to email messages from unknown senders or companies.
• Don’t access personal or banking accounts online from a public computer or kiosk.
• Beware of ‘free’ prizes; if you think an offer is too good to be true, then it probably is.
• Make sure you change your passwords often and avoid using the same password on multiple sites.
• Always enter a URL by hand instead of following links.
• Install and regularly update software firewall, antivirus, and anti-spyware.
• Make sure the website address starts with “https,” s stands for secure.
•Look for the padlock icon at the bottom of your browser, which indicates the site uses encryption.
•Type website URLs directly into the address bar, do not follow links.
• Do not rely on a single website for information, consult a few sources and ask who is providing the information?
• Many pharmaceutical companies create websites with information to sell products.
•Look for sites ending in .edu (for education) or .gov (for government)
•Credit cards have some protections that debit cards don’t, such as the ability to question unusual charges.
In addition to providing Internet safety tips for seniors the National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign is working to engage the American public to acknowledge and commit to the shared responsibility of securing cyberspace.
The National Cyber Security Alliance aims to educate and empower a digital society to use the Internet safely and securely at home, work, and school, protecting the technology individuals use, the networks they connect to and shared digital assets.
source: dhs.gov, stopthinkconnect.org
Download the free Internet Safety Tips for Seniors to Safe Online Guide by Homeland Security by visiting the website.
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