And the good news is that the best security software has been designed with ease of use in mind.
My internet safety guide for seniors is your one-stop shop for internet security assistance in 2025.
Try Norton
What Are the Most Common Online Threats Affecting Seniors?
), which indicates the website youre using has a secure encrypted TLS connection.
TheHTTPS Everywhere online window extensionis a great free tool to help ensure youre using encrypted web connections whenever possible.
These websites are generally unsafe, and theyre always full of malicious links and malware downloads.
If you do download pirated content, check that youre running apowerful antivirus program with effective real-time malware detection.
Remembering so many different passwords is difficult, so its advisable to use a password manager.
Read about our favorite password managershere my personal favorite is1Password.
I recommend you set your machine to automatically install updates when they become available.
Ask for Help
Computer running slowly?
see to it you have a trusted family member or human to speak with.
But one of the most common and dangerous techniques is called phishing.
What Is Phishing?
When you drop your login details, the attacker captures them and can then access your real bank account.
Banking websites and online retailers are very commonly imitated for phishing attacks.
Real accounts can be hacked and its possible to receive phishing messages from your friends.
Look out for impersonal, vague, or out of character language in the message.
The good news is you dont need to throw your system out the window!
So, I highly recommend you use a professional identity theft protection service to assist you with this process.
Norton LifeLocks identity theft protectionis the safest choice for anyone in the US.
It includes insurance against identity theft losses and live phone assistance with making the necessary changes to compromised accounts.
What Are Data Breaches?
Breaching major corporations is seen as an accomplishment for hackers.
Having a password manager is a great tool to keep you safe online.
For example, I use1Passwordon my PC, smartphone, and Samsung Galaxy tablet.
Always confirm with them directly through a trusted medium (e.g.
telephone) that they sent you a file or link.
If youre given the option to block the sender, do that, too!
Your email provider will remember this and prevent messages from that email showing up in your inbox.
Many antiviruses some with email protection, which will flag any unsafe emails in your inbox.
Because your email will have a lot of personal details, its important to keep the login details secure.
Criminals send out messages in the hopes of luring seniors to give up financial or personal information.
One of the easiest things to steal is a Facebook users account information.
If you attempt to message them back for more details, you dont get any response!
If you receive a strange message, delete it.
If they didnt send you the message, they will know their account has been hacked.
If this happens, immediately change your password.
Then go towww.facebook.com/hackedand follow the steps there to secure your account ASAP.
Here are some tips to stay safe when youre banking or shopping online.
your monthly statement).
Setting up your online bank account will require you to have access to your routing number and account number.
You will also need to use a strong password that is unique to that account.
By using an unsecure web connection, you may be vulnerable to hackers accessing your personal information.
Another major threat for users accessing banking information online is keylogging.
This data helps companies make their websites better for users and more profitable for businesses.
VPNs mask your internet protocol (IP) address and can hide your online activity from hackers and trackers.
Many VPNs come with ad-blockers and cookie/tracker blockers as well.Private Internet Accesshas a really good ad/tracker blocker.
FLoC was designed to be less invasive, but unfortunately, its still a disaster for online privacy.
Theres currently no way to opt out of FLoC on Chrome.
Andhereyoull find a list of the most secure browsers in 2025.
Check out our list of the10 best antivirus software in 2025to decide which antivirus program is best for you.
Ill quickly cover a few mobile-specific threats in this section, though.
However, these protections wont keep you safe from all malware, phishing scams, or plain old theft.
Thats why I recommendchecking our list of the best antivirus apps for iOS.
In fact, the supposedly secure Google Play Store is one of the most common sources of Android-based malware.
You should only download apps that you feel 100% comfortable with.
You should also be on the lookout for fleeceware applications.
There are fleeceware astrology apps, photo editors, calculator apps, and so many more.
Recent studies have shown thousands of fleeceware apps in both Apples App Store and the Google Play Store.
Public Wi-Fi Networks
Hackers can use public Wi-Fi to invade your devices.
what the web connection is called) and dont navigate to banking sites or enter any financial information online.
Most smishing messages will be pretty easy to figure out.
They often say things like, Your Amazon delivery is here, click this link to verify Vn78jy.azn.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN on the market in 2025.
What are the best ways to keep my financial information safe when online shopping?
Many antivirus suites like Norton also include web shields that can block unsafe websites.
Further, only shop on trustworthy websites ones youve purchased from before or are highly rated.
Its advisable to use a password manager to secure accounts you make on retailer websites.
Create strong, unique passwords and store them safely.
There are many great password managers to choose from my top pick is 1Password.
How do I protect my privacy online?
For Chrome users, FLoC (federated learning of cohorts) is a new method of tracking online activity.
We have prepared aguide about FLoCto inform users and provide protection advice.
