When it comes to internet safety, you can never be too cautious. Whether you are 10 or 90, everyone needs to take extra precautions to ensure we remain safe.
Thankfully, back in 2007, Senator Murkowski sponsored a resolution S. Res. 205 to name June “National Internet Safety Month” and to bring awareness to internet safety. Simply put, the “National Internet Safety Month” resolution provides us an opportunity to educate the public on:
- The dangers of the internet
- The importance of being safe and responsible on-line
The resolution commends national and community groups for promoting awareness by providing information and training for internet safely.
The primary objective of S. Res 205 was to educate the public, especially children about the importance of internet safety. Since that time, our US citizens have all gotten older and senior population has grown exponentially. We now have a record number of senior citizens surfing online, handling their own banking needs and doing most of their shopping on the internet. In the United States, we have over 46 million people who are 65 and over according to Pew Research. Many of them struggle with their vision and hearing, making them easy targets for criminals lurking online.
With so many senior citizens now using the internet, it only makes sense for us to focus on educating our older Americans, as well as children. According to the National Council on Aging, elder financial abuse and fraud costs range from $2.9 billion to a whopping $36.5 billion annually. The reason for the wide spread is many of the crimes toward our vulnerable population often go unreported.
There are never any guarantees for online safety, but there are many things you can do proactively to protect yourself. One of our previous blog posts, “34% of those 65 plus are not using the most powerful research and communication tool in their lifetime” recommended senior citizens consider the following Kaspersky online safety tips whenever accessing the internet:
- Keep privacy settings on
- Limit personal information
- Practice safe browsing
- Make sure your internet connection is secure
- Be careful what you download
- Choose strong passwords
- Make online purchases from secure sites
- Be careful what you postings
- Be careful who you meet
With our many challenges dealing with internet safety on a daily basis, we should all pitch in to do what Senator Murkowski asked for back in 2007 when she called on Internet Safety Organizations, law enforcement, educators community leaders, parents and volunteers to raise their level of awareness to help keep our internet users in the United States safe. If we do, we can all enjoy a happy “National Internet Safety Month”.