WHETHER it is restarting the router to get their WiFi to connect or closing 20 open browser tabs to speed up their phones, children have long been performing simple tech jobs for their parents and caregivers.

According to Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority, smartphone ownership in seniors has ballooned to 89% in 2022, with 78% turning to online payments for day-to-day transactions.

As technology rapidly progresses, sometimes digital safety goes beyond the simple. Embracing technology is one thing but staying digitally safe is another. Bad actors are enjoying the increased opportunities to hack, phish and scam seniors who may be relaxed in their online safety practices.

Bad online habits increase risks

According to a survey conducted in 2020 by the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore, seniors exhibited lower levels of awareness and implementation of protective measures against scams.

CSA’s findings were backed up by Keeper Security’s 2022 Password Practices Report, where 34% of respondents aged 65 and above reported not using a passcode to lock and unlock their phones.

Without the simplest security procedures such as a passcode to lock their phones, seniors are likely to lack more robust security measures, including strong and unique passwords for every account and the activation of Two-Factor Authentication – increasing the risk of bad threat actors attacking this demographic.

These findings were also supported by a significant surge in financial losses among seniors in Singapore, rising from S$4,700 (RM16,338) in 2017 to S$88,000 in 2018. Earlier in 2024, an elderly man was targeted thrice by scammers, where he almost lost a total of S$3.7 million.

Caring for another’s digital security is no easy task and monitoring every click is simply not possible.

A complex problem calls for a simple solution

From impersonating government officials to unauthorised third-party malware infiltrations, it is difficult for anyone to stay up-to-date on the latest evolving methods and attack vectors cyber scammers are using to worm their way into our lives.

Despite people of all ages falling prey to scammers and their schemes, senior victims tend to lose more money to digital fraud.

Before spending a weekend explaining the dangers of poor digital habits with your parents, start by exploring one specific habit that increases online vulnerability – a well-guarded password – a step forward towards improving cybersecurity.

Protective power of well-guarded passwords

Keeper Security’s 2022 US Password Practices Report revealed that almost half of the respondents had been hacked at least once. The report also showed over half of respondents have overwhelmingly negligent attitudes toward password protection, in which passwords are being shared with spouses, written down on paper and forgotten over 40 times per year, all increasing the risk of a security breach.

On average, those ages 65 and above forget their password 63 times a year, compared with respondents aged 18 to 24, who forget theirs 50 times a year. Why is that a problem? How can something as small as forgetting the name of a childhood pet leave the elderly population vulnerable to such huge losses? This phenomenon is called password fatigue.

Essentially, the more we have to change our passwords, the more likely we are to choose passwords that are easy to remember or reuse from another platform. In fact, 56% of respondents admitted to using the same password across different sites or applications, leaving scammers ample opportunities to exploit these weaker passwords and gain access to sensitive personal information.

While just under a quarter (24%) of 18 to 24-year-olds keep track of their passwords by physically writing them down, over half (53%) of respondents aged 65 and above rely on this old-school method of password protection.

Additionally, online scamming can begin with real-world opportunities. It is only a matter of time until someone with questionable intentions takes advantage of those passwords left right out in the open.

Keeping passwords safe, all in one place

A digital password manager is essentially a logbook that lives online. With the aid of just a single master password, users can easily access the passwords to all of their various accounts.

To aid with curating strong passwords, some of these managers come with password protectors that automatically assess password strength.

The best ones also generate strong, unique passwords for every account. With the help of a password manager, your parents will not just benefit from better passwords but also will not have to worry about remembering them.

Many password managers offer a safe way to auto-fill user logins as well as have the ability to add credit and debit cards for faster and more secure online shopping checkouts.

The “custom fields” option is also a huge help when it comes to remembering key information: it allows users to securely save important information, including a driver’s licence or passport, sensitive files, documents and even photos and videos.

In using a trusted password manager, all credentials, secrets and other customer data are only accessible by the end user. All encryption and decryption are done on the fly on your parents’ device, and the data is encrypted in transit and at rest on the manager’s infrastructure.

Remember, a world-class password manager will make it easier to protect and secure your loved ones online – not more complicated.

The writer is the CEO and co-founder of Keeper Security, a cybersecurity platform that provides advanced identity and access management solutions to organisations globally.