NARROWING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Even though older people engage with the Web more and more every year, the number of seniors who use modern communication technologies is still very low in Poland. They are among the age cohorts which are at the highest risk of both digital exclusion, resulting in numerous impediments to social participation, and of being targets of attacks by cybercriminals, often a consequence of lacking awareness or robust knowledge of how to stay secure. The needs of older age groups keep being neglected in cyberspace.

CYBERSEC for SENIORS is a workshop programme for people aged 55+ that aims to overcome seniors’ resistance to using Internet resources and modern technologies, and at the same time to form cyber-savvy browsing habits. We hope to use this initiative to raise awareness among the elderly regarding their security and cyberthreats in order to enable them to protect themselves against Web frauds and gain necessary knowledge of high-quality and accessible public e-services. CYBERSEC for SENIORS supports the empowerment of older age groups in the virtual world by overcoming their reservations, distrust, and excessive caution in using new technological affordances and at the same time develops safe habits and heightened threat awareness.