Enhancing Personalised Cybersecurity Guidance for Older Adults in Ireland

TL;DR

This study explores how to improve online safety for older adults in Ireland by identifying their cybersecurity concerns and testing tailored guidance to enhance their confidence and control online.

Contribution

It presents a two-phase approach combining participatory priority setting and tailored guidance to address cybersecurity needs of older Irish adults.

Findings

Older adults are highly aware of cyber-scams.

They value privacy advice and control tools.

Hesitation exists around password managers and two-factor authentication.

Abstract

The term `Digital Divide' emerged in the mid-1990s, highlighting the gap between those with access to emerging information technologies and those without. This gap persists for older adults even in the 21st century. To address this, our study focused on how older adults in Ireland can feel safer online. We conducted a two-phase study. In Phase I, 58 participants used Dot Voting to identify top cyber-security priorities, including password management, privacy, and avoiding scams. This informed Phase II, where we held focus groups with 31 participants from rural and urban communities in Ireland. Researchers provided tailored advice through presentations and leaflets, followed by open discussions. Our findings show that, despite being highly aware of cyber-scams, older adults remain very concerned about them. Participants expressed hesitation about using online password managers and two-factor authentication but valued advice on privacy and tools that can help them feel more in control online.