Two groups of people are most at risk for scams and computer security issues: children and teens, and older adults. Children and teens, because they do not understand risk, privacy, or almost anything security related. Older adults are particularly susceptible to being scammed as they are often trusting and not suspicious, respectful of authority, and not tech savvy.
The Medicare open enrollment period is October 15 through December 7, and Medicare scammers will soon be calling millions of older adults. If they are not aware of the risks of these scammers, they can end up losing their Medicare coverage.
For parents needing a resource for online safety, and older adults on how to deal with cybersecurity, Alex East has written two helpful guides in A Parent's Guide to Online Safety: Simple Steps to Protect Your Kids From Online Predators, Cyberbullies, Social Media and Gaming Scams, and Cybersecurity for Seniors Made Easy: Simple Steps to Protect Your Identity, Avoid Money Scams, and Enjoy Peace of Mind Every Time You Go Online.
Many parents need to call their kids to help them use the computer. In A Parent's Guide to Online Safety, the author changes that dynamic by giving parents the information they need to ensure that their children use technology safely.
The book opens with a few horror stories and other news items that highlight the dangers of unfettered technology use amongst children and teens.
East then provides tactical advice parents can use to ensure that their children don’t fall victim to Internet predators, TikTok challenges, and more.
Many parents are intimidated by the technical challenges involved in computer security and privacy. East avoids all of the jargon and provides the reader with an easy-to-read and understand guide with practical advice. This includes step-by-step instructions on how to set up privacy and safety settings in various social media apps.
Children and teenagers today are exposed to mature content earlier than ever, often before they fully understand its implications. Many parents struggle with approaching these conversations, unsure when or how to begin. The book empowers parents to have these conversations in an open, judgment-free dialogue. This is essential for equipping children with the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to navigate the Internet safely.
A Parent's Guide to Online Safety contains little theory, but a lot of critical information for parents to help their children stay safe on the Internet. And the truth be told, you don’t have to be a parent to gain critical insights from the book.
On the opposite sides of children and teens are older adults. Many of them find themselves using online banking, social media applications, and more, oblivious to the security risks involved.
East continues his advice in Cybersecurity for Seniors Made Easy, not ironically written in large print.
Older adults have adversaries in scamming organizations that are well-run, very organized, highly efficient, and managed businesses. The scammers overflow with lies and confidence, and they are no match for older adults. Many of whom have lost their life savings, found themselves without medical coverage due to Medicare scams, and more, after being the victim of scammers.
The same practical advice that is relevant to children and teens applies to older adults, and there is a lot of duplicated information in this book.
Books like this are important since economic incentives favor the scammers. It is possible to call millions of people for under a thousand dollars. Technology enables the calling of tens of thousands of calls per hour, and law enforcement in India, Mexico, andother countries where scammers proliferate, are on the payroll of the scammers. They operate out of the US jurisdiction and are very difficult to prosecute.
The book provides the reader with an overview of common attacks such as phishing, wrong-number texts scams, various types of other scams, and more.
The truth is that older adults are no match for scammers. Scammers are overly aggressive and have multiple answers to every challenge that an older adult may bring up. They are threatening and intimidating and scare older adults into submission. This often results in them losing their life savings, medical coverage, and more.
While they are no match for the scammers, the book gives them a fighting chance. Just like one does not need to be a parent to gain insights from A Parent's Guide to Online Safety, readers of all ages can find sage advice in Cybersecurity for Seniors Made Easy. For the reader who is of age to be an the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) member or already is, this should be on their reading list.