Older generations are more concerned about internet safety than Gen Z

We took a look at internet safety as part of our monthly AARP sponsored segment that highlights issues important to older adults in Arizona. Internet safety is a major concern for older generations. Indeed, the FBI reports that most complaints of internet fraud are from people age 60 and older. We asked Andrea Katsenes, the Director of Media and Public Relations at COX, about the warning signs of fraud and how to stay safe on the internet.

“For so long we’ve been talking about keeping kids safe online and I know parents are always have that top of mind, but our research found that the boomers are really more concerned about it, and probably need some reminders every now and again,” Katsenes said.

She said a big thing to remember when online is, “…if you don’t know who’s sending you an email, probably best not to click on it and start responding. So, if you don’t know who it is, best not to act upon it.”

Oftentimes people like to post their lives on social media. “Don’t overshare. This is a good time to go to your settings and make sure that it’s only open to those that are friends of yours on Facebook or any social media platforms and not open to anyone and everyone,” Katsenes said.

She continued to mention, “A good tip is not to post pictures of your surroundings, necessarily, or give people inclinations where your hometown is or your birthday because… sometimes people’s passwords correlate with family, where they live, their date of birth. So it’s best not to give out too much personal information on your social media platforms.”

Are anti-virus softwares worth it?

“It’s kind of a second line of defense… Those that may use our internet service (Cox), we have McAfee, so that will… help give everyone kind of a second line of defense. We also have new advanced tools that are getting so advanced where they even kind of know your practices and where you tend to visit. So if you’re getting some unknown sites, it will kind of freeze it and provide a firewall until you allow that to come through,” Katsenes said.