Be Connected and make ensuring your own safety online a top priority for the upcoming year

Giving smart phones or home assistants as gifts to family members may be well received and done with the best of intentions. However, if these electronic devices are not set up correctly, they can be confusing and even dangerous for senior citizens in Australia.

This New Year, the eSafety Commissioner is asking everyone to help older family members and friends by checking their devices' settings and stressing the importance of online safety with the help of Be Connected. This can be done by taking the time to check their settings.

"Technology and electronic devices can help open up a wide and wonderful new world for older Australians," said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. "This can range from facilitating video calls and connection on social media, to introducing new hobbies like listening to podcasts or playing online games."

It's empowering to be able to use digital technology and the internet to get services and connect with people. However, we are aware that it can also be overwhelming for an older person, who may not feel confident using the internet and may not know what to look for when setting up a new device or signing up for a digital service. This may be the case when an older person is trying to sign up for a digital service or set up a new device.

Even for those of us who make heavy use of technology on a daily basis, it can be difficult to come up with secure passwords and to ensure that our privacy settings are consistent across all of our devices and online accounts. This can be an even more intimidating process full of confusing tech jargon for older people in Australia who haven't had as much exposure to the online world.

"Make it your resolution for the New Year to help improve the digital skills of those around you by devoting some time to talking about how important it is to be safe when using the internet." Grant said

The Be Connected initiative offers a wide range of self-paced courses to help people make their online settings safer and more secure. These courses cover topics such as how to recognise scams and create strong passwords, as well as an introduction to smart homes and resources on how to get started with laptops, desktops, tablets, and mobile phones.

The courses come with detailed instructions that are simple to understand, along with brief videos and summary sheets that students can download and keep for future reference.

Remember to keep these online safety tips in the forefront of your mind as you start the year 2023 in a secure manner by making the most of the available security features on devices and developing good habits that will keep you and the people you care about safe online:

• Create secure and unique passwords for each of your online accounts, and enable multi-factor authentication if possible.

• When signing up for online services or registering an account, keep in mind that you have the option to skip fields that are marked as optional so that you don't share any more information than is absolutely necessary.

• Adjusting your privacy settings on social media platforms can help protect the information you share about yourself. However, you should also be aware of how much information may be contained in the photos and videos you choose to share.

• Be wary of cons: there are plenty of cons to be found on the internet, in emails, and over the phone, so it is essential to maintain vigilance. Keep in mind that if something appears to be too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

According to Ms. Inman Grant, "Regardless of our age or level of digital skill, we all need to be careful about the amount of personal information we disclose online. This is important because technology keeps getting better and new devices can collect a lot of location and biometric information, like fingerprint logins”,

"In the process of connecting with our loved ones through new technologies and online services, we need to make sure that the devices and accounts are set up securely. This will ensure that we do not inadvertently leave them vulnerable to scams and other forms of danger.

"Be Connected provides everything you need to learn in order to learn how to set up devices, prioritise secure passwords, and enjoy what the online world has to offer," the website states.

You can find a wide variety of resources to improve your online skills at the Be Connected website. These resources include resources for families, friends, peers, and local community organisations, all of which are designed to help older Australians learn more about the advantages of using the internet: www.beconnected.esafety.gov.au

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