08-16, 12:00–12:50 (US/Eastern), Little Theatre
This presentation asks how we can better care for our older adults and improve cybersecurity awareness training and policies with their needs in mind. American adults over the age of 60 filed over 100,000 cybercrime-related complaints to the FBI in 2023 and experienced losses amounting to $3.2 billion. Older adults are the most vulnerable to cybercrime, and studies have found they feel ashamed to disclose having been victims. Although important initiatives exist, such as AllState’s training sessions on cyber safety and AARP’s free fraud helpline, there’s a noticeable shortage in relevant resources. This research examines emerging cybersecurity awareness resources and policies supporting older adults, drawing from interviews with FINRA and the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC). It also presents findings from the cybersecurity awareness initiative founded by the presenters: the Cyber Care Institute, recently introduced to four organizations and over 100 students in New York City.
Laura Sang Hee Scherling is a director and lecturer at Columbia University. She teaches in the tech policy and innovation concentration. She is the founder of the Cyber Care Institute and cofounder of Civic Art Lab. Her books include Future of Hacking, Ethics in Design and Communication, Digital Transformation in Design, and Product Design, Technology, and Social Change. Laura has contributed to Tech Policy Press, Design Observer, Brookings, and the Urban Activist. She is passionate about tech ethics, Internet freedom, and cybersecurity awareness.
instagram: @laura.skierling
linkedin: laurascherling
Josefina Piddo is a graduate student at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. She is a policy, analysis, and assessment intern with the U.N. Office of Digital and Emerging Technologies and assistant director with the Cyber Care Institute. Josefina is a journalist and communications specialist, earned an MS in strategic communications, and worked previously with the Inter-American Development Bank and the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Patrimony in Chile.
linkedin: josefina-piddo-5b25351a9
