A new, downloadable toolkit has been made available to help senior citizens avoid falling victim to cybercrime.

The Sabi Toolkit, available in both English and Pidgin, has been launched as part of the Shine Your Eye initiative. Overseen by the CyberSafe Foundation, Shine Your Eye aims to educate people about the simple steps they can take to better protect themselves online.

Less tech-savvy than the younger generations, the elderly have often been seen as an easy target for cybercriminals and fraudsters. Shine Your Eye hopes to address this by making the basics of good cyber hygiene easier to understand and raising awareness of the ways in which cyber criminals operate.

Contained within the toolkit are insights and tips around two-factor authentication; what to do when you lose your phone; how to protect your bank account; and how to spot the tell-tale signs of investment fraud.

It explores:

• How two-factor authentication protects you from data loss and identity theft – and is both free and easy to set up;
• The numbers to call to block your bank account if your phone goes missing; and
• What an investment scam looks like, typically offering high rewards for little risk but demanding a rapid response.

In time, the CyberSafe Foundation hopes to create and distribute an extended version of the Sabi Toolkit, allowing more senior citizens to feel the benefits of engaging safely with the digital economy.

Until then, it will continue in its efforts to champion the cause of inclusive and safe digital access across Africa, especially for the most vulnerable members of society. Find out more about the Foundation’s work here.