Allstate Northern Ireland is offering free cyber safety training sessions to protect older consumers from online scams.
The community initiative comes after it was revealed that over £6m was lost to scams in Northern Ireland in 2020.
The interactive sessions will cover general cybersecurity awareness, fraud, identity theft, and email/telephone scams, to help equip attendees with the tools to protect their passwords and privacy settings.
Technologists at Allstate developed the initiative following the success of its Cyber Safety for Kids scheme, a training programme that has reached over 11,000 children globally since launching in Northern Ireland in 2018.
Similarly, the training for older adults will be delivered across Northern Ireland, the US and India to protect 'as many people as possible'.
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The course has received support from the Police Service of Northern Ireland also, with Superintendent Gerard Pollock welcoming "any initiatives which advise and educate people on how they can avoid falling victim to scams."
He also encouraged "anyone who has been a victim to report it to police on the non-emergency telephone number 101.”
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Allstate Jeff Wright said: “Cybercrime is on the rise and hackers are getting smarter. There is no doubt that all of us are at risk, however older members of society are a growing target for cybercriminals. That’s why we are reaching out to local communities and offering free, online training sessions to ensure more people have the knowledge and awareness to stop cybercrime in its tracks.”
“Covid-19 forced everyone online and more people are using the internet for tasks that require sharing sensitive information. In these sessions, Allstate cybersecurity professionals will talk about the most common scams and how to avoid falling victim to them. Individuals are encouraged to ask questions and get tips that will best protect them and their assets," added Keith Lippert, Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Allstate NI.
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Virtual sessions are available throughout the summer:
• Tuesday, July 27, 10-11 am GMT
• Thursday, August 5, 12-1 pm GMT
• Tuesday August 24, 11 am to 12 pm GMT
Click here to sign up for the training sessions. To learn more about group bookings, email allstatecybersafety@allstate.com.
For further advice and information relating to scams, visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni or the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni.
