Stop relying on the kids for cyber safety – here’s how to handle it yourself
You’ve raised a family, managed finances, run a household, built a career, and navigated decades of change. You are not someone who needs to be looked after.
And yet, every time something suspicious appears on your screen — a strange pop-up, an unusual email, a website that doesn’t look quite right, there’s that familiar hesitation. Should you call one of the kids? Ask your neighbour? Just close it and hope for the best?
This feeling is more common than you might think. And it has nothing to do with intelligence or capability. It has to do with a simple gap in knowledge, the same gap anyone has when stepping into unfamiliar territory for the first time.
The good news is that this gap is easy to close. Most cyber security situations that Baby Boomers encounter day to day fall into a small number of categories, and once you know what to look for and what to do, you can handle them yourself with confidence.
Why the “just ask the kids” approach isn’t working
There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. But relying entirely on others for your digital safety creates its own problems.
When you’re not sure about something and the kids aren’t available, you’re left with two bad options: don’t use the internet for anything that matters, or proceed without the knowledge to do so safely. Neither is acceptable when so much of modern life, banking, health, government services, staying connected with family — happens online.
There’s also the matter of dignity. Many Baby Boomers describe feeling embarrassed to keep asking about technology, especially when the questions seem basic to younger people who’ve grown up with it. That embarrassment leads to silence. And silence leads to vulnerability.
You deserve to feel capable online, not dependent.
The situations you’re most likely to encounter
The vast majority of cyber security moments that trip people up fall into a handful of categories.
Suspicious emails or texts that claim to be from a trusted organisation. Alarming pop-up messages on your computer or phone. Requests to click a link, call a number, or download something. Uncertainty about whether a website is safe to use or buy from. Questions about privacy settings on social media.
Each of these has a clear, learnable response and none of them require deep technical knowledge. They require a framework: a simple way of thinking that helps you assess a situation and act appropriately.
The fundamental principle: slow down
Virtually every successful online scam relies on urgency. The message says “act now”, “your account will be closed”, “call immediately”. The urgency is artificial, designed to stop you thinking.
The single most powerful thing you can do in any uncertain digital moment is slow down. The few seconds you take to pause and assess are the scammer’s worst enemy.
If a message, pop-up, or caller is pressuring you to act immediately, that pressure itself is a warning sign. Legitimate organisations don’t threaten to close your account in the next 30 minutes. Legitimate tech support doesn’t cold-call you. Legitimate websites don’t insist you download something right now.
When in doubt, do nothing until you’ve had time to think, or until you’ve verified through a trusted, independent source.
Building a simple personal response plan
Rather than relying on knowledge you might not have in the moment, it helps to have a few preset responses ready.
For suspicious emails or texts: don’t click any links. Close the message. If you think it might be genuine, contact the organisation directly through a number or website you already know is real.
For alarming pop-ups: don’t call any number shown on the screen. Don’t click anything on the pop-up. Close it using the X button, or if you can’t, restart your device. The pop-up itself is almost certainly the scam.
For requests to download software or give remote access: say no, hang up, close the browser. No legitimate organisation will contact you out of the blue and ask for access to your device.
Knowledge is independence
Every piece of knowledge you gain about how these things work is a step toward independence. You don’t need to know how to code or configure a firewall. You need to understand the patterns scammers use, the warning signs to watch for, and the simple responses that keep you safe.
That’s not a lot to ask. And it’s entirely achievable.
The confidence that comes from handling a suspicious situation yourself — and getting it right — is genuinely satisfying. You’re not at the mercy of the technology or the people trying to exploit it. You’re in control.
Cyber Safe & Confident was written specifically to give Baby Boomers that control – practical, plain-English guidance covering the situations you’re most likely to encounter, with clear steps and no assumption of prior tech knowledge.
Stop relying on the kids for cyber safety – here’s how to handle it yourself
You’ve raised a family, managed finances, run a household, built a career, and navigated decades of change. You are not someone who needs to be looked after.
And yet, every time something suspicious appears on your screen — a strange pop-up, an unusual email, a website that doesn’t look quite right, there’s that familiar hesitation. Should you call one of the kids? Ask your neighbour? Just close it and hope for the best?
This feeling is more common than you might think. And it has nothing to do with intelligence or capability. It has to do with a simple gap in knowledge, the same gap anyone has when stepping into unfamiliar territory for the first time.
The good news is that this gap is easy to close. Most cyber security situations that Baby Boomers encounter day to day fall into a small number of categories, and once you know what to look for and what to do, you can handle them yourself with confidence.
Why the “just ask the kids” approach isn’t working
There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. But relying entirely on others for your digital safety creates its own problems.
When you’re not sure about something and the kids aren’t available, you’re left with two bad options: don’t use the internet for anything that matters, or proceed without the knowledge to do so safely. Neither is acceptable when so much of modern life, banking, health, government services, staying connected with family — happens online.
There’s also the matter of dignity. Many Baby Boomers describe feeling embarrassed to keep asking about technology, especially when the questions seem basic to younger people who’ve grown up with it. That embarrassment leads to silence. And silence leads to vulnerability.
You deserve to feel capable online, not dependent.
The situations you’re most likely to encounter
The vast majority of cyber security moments that trip people up fall into a handful of categories.
Suspicious emails or texts that claim to be from a trusted organisation. Alarming pop-up messages on your computer or phone. Requests to click a link, call a number, or download something. Uncertainty about whether a website is safe to use or buy from. Questions about privacy settings on social media.
Each of these has a clear, learnable response and none of them require deep technical knowledge. They require a framework: a simple way of thinking that helps you assess a situation and act appropriately.
The fundamental principle: slow down
Virtually every successful online scam relies on urgency. The message says “act now”, “your account will be closed”, “call immediately”. The urgency is artificial, designed to stop you thinking.
The single most powerful thing you can do in any uncertain digital moment is slow down. The few seconds you take to pause and assess are the scammer’s worst enemy.
If a message, pop-up, or caller is pressuring you to act immediately, that pressure itself is a warning sign. Legitimate organisations don’t threaten to close your account in the next 30 minutes. Legitimate tech support doesn’t cold-call you. Legitimate websites don’t insist you download something right now.
When in doubt, do nothing until you’ve had time to think, or until you’ve verified through a trusted, independent source.
Building a simple personal response plan
Rather than relying on knowledge you might not have in the moment, it helps to have a few preset responses ready.
For suspicious emails or texts: don’t click any links. Close the message. If you think it might be genuine, contact the organisation directly through a number or website you already know is real.
For alarming pop-ups: don’t call any number shown on the screen. Don’t click anything on the pop-up. Close it using the X button, or if you can’t, restart your device. The pop-up itself is almost certainly the scam.
For requests to download software or give remote access: say no, hang up, close the browser. No legitimate organisation will contact you out of the blue and ask for access to your device.
Knowledge is independence
Every piece of knowledge you gain about how these things work is a step toward independence. You don’t need to know how to code or configure a firewall. You need to understand the patterns scammers use, the warning signs to watch for, and the simple responses that keep you safe.
That’s not a lot to ask. And it’s entirely achievable.
The confidence that comes from handling a suspicious situation yourself — and getting it right — is genuinely satisfying. You’re not at the mercy of the technology or the people trying to exploit it. You’re in control.
Cyber Safe & Confident was written specifically to give Baby Boomers that control – practical, plain-English guidance covering the situations you’re most likely to encounter, with clear steps and no assumption of prior tech knowledge.