SECURE IT - April 2025

A monthly Information Security publication for the WPI community.  

This month's focus is on CYBER SAFETY FOR ELDERS AND CHILDREN. We encourage community members to share your information security knowledge, and use these tips to keep friends and family from becoming cyber victims!

In this issue:

• Why Are They Targets?
• AI's Role in Protecting Vulnerable Consumers
• Keeping Up with Tech Changes
• Learning with Laughter
• From the CISTO
• Where to Find Information Security? At a Webinar!
• Featured Videos and In the News
• Identity Theft by the Numbers
• WPI Resources
• Diversity in Cybersecurity

Why Are They Targets?

Elderly

The elderly are targeted by scammers because they tend to have a large amount of savings, own homes, and have good credit. They also may be less inclined to report issues because they don't know how, are ashamed, and/or worried their relatives will think they can no longer live on their own.

Children 

Are tweens you know ready for social media and online gaming? 

Children and teenagers are prime targets because they tend to be less tech-savvy, especially in digital security. They also tend to be less emotionally mature and more trusting.

The NetSmartz series by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children teaches online safety to children.

Identity Theft

Identity theft for children is also on the rise. According to Freekick, "Instead of pretending to be someone else, they create an entirely new identity by stealing a child’s personally identifiable information (PII) and combining it with made-up data." They offer these top reasons:

• Children don’t have a credit history. 
• They have randomized Social Security numbers. 
• Children aren't subject to financial monitoring like adults are.

Combat ID theft by protecting children’s SSN, teaching them about online dangers and not to reveal private info, and consider freezing their credit profiles. 

WPI is not affiliated with FreeKick, however we are sharing this article because it contains good tips that do not require using a specific product.

AI's Role in Protecting  Vulnerable Consumers

Children

Here are a few ways artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to help keep children safe.

• Content Moderation - AI algorithms can detect and block harmful materials and hate speech. 
• Cyberbullying Detection - Machine learning algorithms can analyze patterns in text, identifying potential threats before they escalate.
• Personalized Alerts - AI provides parents with tailored alerts about their child’s online activity.

Elderly

These AI-powered tools can help protect the elderly from scams.

• Biometric authentication helps seniors log in securely without remembering passwords.
• Pattern Analysis in scam emails, phone calls, and other communication to detect fraud before exploitation occurs.
• Call screening and spam blocking can be used to detect spoofed numbers.
• Detection tools can verify the authenticity of content as human written.

Keeping Up with Tech Changes

Some elders and children may be still using older devices. Perhaps they receive hand-me-down phones, or are unable to afford the latest computer models. They may not be familiar with keeping operating systems and apps updated. Also as devices age manufacturers discontinue support for them, and they often lack the latest cybersecurity protections.

New tech can be incredibly helpful to all ages, but senior and young users may need assistance with setup and understanding how not to be vulnerable to attack.

Keeping Internet of Things Safe 

Voice controlled, internet of things devices can be helpful to the elderly and allow them to keep in touch with their friends and family. However they can be vulnerable to attack without the right precautions in place. Using them on a guest network and disabling unused features are among the tips offered by the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

Robo Calling with Familiar Voices

Not only can AI generate text, it can also be used to create the voices of people you recognize, such as family members or celebrities.

Cybercriminals have also used AI-faked voices to trick people out of money. The victim receives a phone call that sounds like their loved one is in distress and hears a reason why they urgently need to provide money. Scammers might fake a kidnapping, or request money for bail or a hospital bill. In these situations, the best action is to hang up and try to contact them with a method usually used to reach them.

These resources provide more detail and a link for reporting scams to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Learning with Laughter