Courtesy of Family Features
Today’s seniors aren’t shying away from a world that has become increasingly reliant on technology. Quite the opposite, in fact, as recent survey findings suggest adults ages 65 and older are online and more digitally active and self-assured than ever before.
Nearly all seniors surveyed as part of the “Connecting the Digital Dots: Online Habits and Safety Concerns Across Three Generations” survey from Cox Mobile consider themselves digitally literate, using devices for shopping, banking, social media and entertainment. With older adults spending a significant amount of time connected to the digital world – 41% of those surveyed reported spending five or more hours online daily – they’re also more at-risk for scams, viruses like malware and data breaches.
Even though 61% of seniors who encountered digital threats were able to mitigate the issues themselves, showing their growing digital capability, increased online engagement brings new challenges and responsibilities for caregivers, who often play a crucial role in supporting seniors’ digital journeys.
To help support older loved ones’ safety and confidence as they navigate an evolving digital landscape, Cox Mobile, in partnership with Common Sense Media, offers educational materials on digital safety, smart device use and media literacy for all ages. In addition, these practical safety strategies can help empower seniors to make informed, safe choices online.
Encourage Strong Passwords: Simple passwords, like number sequences, keyboard patterns or personal information – such as variations of your name, birthdate, address or names of pets or loved ones – are easily guessable and may lead to issues. While the survey found 70% of seniors already create strong, unique passwords, encourage them to avoid reusing passwords across sites. Recommend a password manager app to safely generate and store strong passwords and eliminate the need to write them all down, which could lead to a breach if not stored properly.
Related: AI + Seniors: 3 Surprising Ways You’re Already Using It
Promote Security Software: If devices aren’t protected, even the most careful users are susceptible to viruses. Though 63% of those surveyed have security software installed, it’s important to regularly make sure it’s up to date (or that automatic updates are enabled) and covers all devices, including laptops, tablets and smartphones.
You might also consider installing a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN creates a secure, encrypted “tunnel” for your internet traffic, hiding your online activity, IP address, and location from others like your ISP, hackers, or governments, making your connection private and anonymous, especially on public Wi-Fi, and allowing you to bypass geo-restrictions by routing your data through a remote server. You can also choose to use a browser such as DuckDuckGo, an internet privacy company offering a secure search engine that does not track user data, create user profiles, or store search history.
Related: Cyber Insider Ranks the Best Password Managers for 2026
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication: A simple and effective way to stop most attempts at unauthorized account access, 60% of seniors are already using multi-factor authentication as an extra layer of protection. Some seniors, however, may need assistance setting up the safeguard, which typically sends a code to a phone number or email address as part of the login process, for online banking, email or social media accounts.
Review Apps and Channels: Over time, it can be easy to accumulate apps on smartphones and tablets. While 51% of surveyed seniors remove unsafe apps, make it a habit to regularly check loved ones’ devices for unfamiliar or suspicious applications and delete them. Also keep an eye out for unauthorized charges, data sharing or browser extensions.
Use an app like Rocket Money, which finds and tracks your subscriptions (for example, it can tell you if you accidentally signed up for Netflix twice!). The free version allows you to see and track all your subscriptions; the paid version will cancel services for you with just a few clicks.
Utilize Built-In Safety Features: Explore privacy controls on individual devices (and apps) and check with your loved ones’ internet service provider to ensure security features are being utilized like the 43% of those surveyed who are already taking advantage of their devices’ safety settings. Included privacy protections may include limiting data sharing, disabling location tracking, blocking pop-ups and restricting other unwanted communication.
Discuss Online Safety Regularly: Because technology is ever-changing, it’s important for caregivers to talk with senior loved ones about online safety. Open, ongoing conversations, like those one-third of seniors are already having several times a week or even daily, can help build trust and awareness of current scams, suspicious texts or emails, commonly used apps and more.
By fostering open dialogue, sharing practical safety strategies and leveraging trusted resources, caregivers can help their loved ones thrive and stay safe. Visit your local Cox Mobile store or go to CoxMobileSafety.com to find more tips, guides and full survey results.
