New envelope-less Cambrian ATMs
Our new ATMs no longer require envelopes for cash or cheque deposits. To learn more, click the link below!
New ATMs
new-envelope-less-cambrian-atms
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Safe Banking

How to talk to friends and family about cybersecurity

October 5, 2023
3
min read

You’ve honed your cybersecurity skills, and now you’re ready to share them with friends and family. How do you start the conversation?

Woman talks to older adult about cybersecurity

It’s one thing to make sure your own personal devices are secure. But you want to protect the other people in your life, too. What can you do to help them stay safe online?

With the rise of cybercrime, it’s more important than ever to ensure your loved ones can spot the signs of a phishing scam.

A phishing scam is when a cybercriminal attempts to steal your personal information by pretending to be someone else, such as a financial institution or service provider.  

By going over the basics of cybersecurity with your loved ones, you can help your family become more cyber safe:

How to help older adults stay safe online

Raise awareness about online safety by starting these conversations with older adults in your life:

Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know

By accepting friend requests from strangers, you give that person access to any personal information on your profile—for example, your address or your birthday.

Before accepting a friend request on social media, encourage your loved ones to check out their profile first. Do they recognize that person? Are they posting content that seems strange?

Scammers often pose as people you’re already friends with or celebrities to trick you into accepting their request.

It’s better to decline the request than risk being targeted by a scammer.

Verify the identity of callers

Cybercriminals target older adults by impersonating grandchildren or family members in need.

It’s important to take a minute to slow down and ask yourself: Does this request make sense, or should I think twice before sending money?

Tell your loved one that if they get a call from an unknown number, and the caller claims to be a blood relative of theirs, hang up the phone and call the person directly to verify it first.

Be wary of email attachments and links

Urge your loved ones to look closely at the message before clicking on any links or attachments in emails or texts. Is the message coming from who they think it is?

Talk to your family about the signs of a suspicious email, including:

  • Grammar and spelling errors
  • Requests for personal information (billing details, passwords, and more)
  • Unfamiliar sender
  • A sense of urgency in the message, such as “Act now” or “Attention
  • Unknown attachments

For more information, check out how to prevent elder financial abuse.

How to help young children stay safe online

It’s not enough to limit your child’s access to the online world at home. These days, kids are using the internet at friends’ houses or at school.

Here’s some cybersecurity advice you can give your little ones, so they can better understand what’s okay (and what’s not okay) to share online:

Be clear about what information can be shared

Young children may be tempted to overshare – which is something a cybercriminal can use to steal personal information.

Tell your children that they should never share personal details like:

  • Birthdays
  • Information about where they live, such as their school or street address
  • Personal details about friends or family
  • Passwords

Once shared, personal information can’t be taken back. Make sure the little ones in your life understand that some things are best kept private—especially online.

If you see something, say something!

Encourage young ones to speak up if they ever receive a strange message online. It never hurts to ask! Let them know your door is always open if they want to talk.

Be careful about online phishing scams

When you think of the most common scams, you probably picture phone calls or emails. But cybercriminals also use social media or online games to find their victims.

Some phishing scams are specifically designed to target young children.

Teach your kids about the common signs of phishing scams, which can happen anywhere online, like:

  • Promises that are too good to be true.
  • Requests for personal information.
  • Sense of urgency.

Your accounts are safe with Cambrian

You can always contact us if you’re concerned that you or someone you love may be targeted by a phishing scam. Our advisors can help you sort fact from fiction! We’ll help you learn more to keep you and your loved ones.

Today’s Rates

*All rates and yields subject to change without notice.
No items found.

Want to Discuss with an Advisor?

We would be happy to discuss your unique situation with you.
Our goal is to make complex topics like this one, simple.

“I had a wonderful experience at Cambrian. I've been with the same institution for the last 21 years and all the fees and restrictions have finally pushed me into wanting to make some changes.

My advisor was prepared for my arrival with all the documents ready and waiting. He took the time to go over each one...”

Read full client story
Stephan

on his experience with Cambrian

five stars
4.9

Need a loan Buying a Home?
Check out these Resources

Check out these Resources