Titled “Stay safe online, live happily with Google”, the video instructing the elderly on how to recognize and protect themselves from online scams was released by Google in collaboration with the Department of Information Security (Ministry of Information and Communications) on February 6, on the occasion of World Cyber Safety Day - Safer Internet Day 2024.
This is Google's next effort in the "Cybersecurity for the Elderly" program, helping the elderly in Vietnam confidently use the Internet, increase awareness of information security and prevent fraud.
Now available on the official YouTube channel of the Information Security Department, the video “Online safety, Peace of mind and joy with Google” simulates 3 online fraud situations that the elderly often encounter and provides instructions on how to handle each situation, including: Fake websites, applications of unknown origin, and account hijackers.
Notably, in this newly released video, the informational content instructing the elderly on how to recognize and defend against online scams was presented by artist Xuan Bac through witty and memorable verses, emphasizing the message "Raise vigilance - Update regularly - Live with peace of mind".
In the new information, Google also announced the results of a survey of more than 1,248 Vietnamese Internet users about online information security. The survey results showed that 90% of users have been exposed to online scams and more than 70% have been victims. The age group over 55 is especially vulnerable, with 49% having been scammed.
Digging deeper into the causes, the top 3 reasons why older adults fall for online scams are because they didn’t realize the situation was a scam (48%); the deal/prize seemed appealing (39%), and they were curious (38%).
In terms of the influence of habits, 78% of users with unsafe online habits have been scammed, higher than the corresponding figure of 66% in the group of users with safe online habits.
Some common unsafe habits include using easy-to-remember combinations as passwords, using the same password for multiple accounts, or ignoring warnings from web browsers or app stores. For example, using simple passwords is a common practice, with 33% of people over 55 committing the habit, the highest rate of any age group.
The survey results also showed that there was no clear difference in the rate of being scammed among Internet users in Vietnam between rural and urban areas or by time spent online. Specifically, the rate of people living in rural areas being scammed was 69%, compared to 73% of people living in urban areas.
The rate of being scammed in the group that is online a lot is 69%, compared to the group that is online less is 75%. "Thus, carefulness in online habits is the factor that has the greatest influence on the ability to prevent online fraud" , Google experts commented.
According to Google, recognizing the importance of building safe online habits, the program "Information security in cyberspace for the elderly" has been deployed by Google with a focus on building good habits for the elderly such as: Securing accounts, being careful when sharing information online, identifying scams, principles of action when encountering scams and when being scammed.
Deployed in Vietnam since August 2023, the program “Cyber Security for the Elderly” has provided the “Online Safety Handbook” as training material, helping the program train more than 9,000 young people nationwide on online safety. Thereby, retraining more than 6,700 elderly people on online safety habits through local community activities.
Google also co-organized the event “Promoting the vanguard role of youth in digital transformation” with the Vietnam Youth Union at the end of November 2023, combining training for youth union members and the Vietnam Veterans Association. At this event, 500 Cybersecurity scholarships were awarded to Vietnamese youth.
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