Bridging the Digital Divide: A Cyber Safety Program for Seniors

The project ‘Bridging the Digital Divide – Cyber Security for the Elderly’ aims to empower seniors to protect themselves from cybercrime and scams through essential skills development.

The key objectives of the project include raising awareness of cyber security risks among senior people in our communities and supporting them with tailored educational programs, materials and resources to equip them with protective measures.

The project’s CyberSafe Seniors Program has been developed for senior participants to help them improve their knowledge and skills in using digital devices or online applications safely. The program draws from the most current research findings, the Australian government’s ‘Act Now – Stay Secure’ campaign, and expert insights.

The CyberSafe Seniors Program includes structured face-to-face workshops delivered at ICMS and partner organisations to empower seniors by equipping them with essential knowledge, awareness and skills to protect themselves from cybercrimes. The program has a free online course that gives participants access to workshop materials and digital resources for continued support.

The impact and outcomes of the activities in the program are monitored and evaluated through pre- and post-workshop surveys and feedback surveys for continuous improvements. This project will provide the local governments and aged-care organisations with strategies to better promote cybersecurity awareness training programs tailored for the needs of the vulnerable elderly people in the community.

How to participate

There are three ways to participate in the CyberSafe Seniors Program:

1. Participate in a workshop

To participate in a CyberSafe Seniors Program workshop, please register by completing the online form on the right-hand side of this webpage. Please read the Participant Information Sheet for more details.

The upcoming workshop times and dates are available here:

2. Access our online resources: To access free online educational and practical resources, you can self-enrol to the CyberSafe Seniors Program course here.

3. Become a host: To inquire about how to become a CyberSafe Seniors Program partner organisation and host our free workshops, please email [email protected]

About the project

The project ‘Bridging the Digital Divide – Cyber Security for the Elderly’ and the ‘CyberSafe Seniors Program’ of ICMS is supported by the Australian Government Department of Home Affair’s Cyber Security Awareness Support for Vulnerable Groups Grant Program (2024 – 2026).

Project Team

The project team comprises a multidisciplinary team of experts in risk management, information technology and cyber security. The project is led by Associate Professor Betul Sekendiz, Associate Dean (Scholarship) at ICMS. Other project team members are Dr Patrick Shearman, Program Manager (Information Technology) and Connor Barkley, Lecturer (Information Technology).