Most older people are better at online security than you think
...But they could be even more secure with the right password manager
It is a common misconception that the older generation are most at risk of falling prey to online criminals. The classic stereotypical image of an elderly person struggling with technology and the huge number of passwords and PINs that they have to remember doesn’t really help much!
While it may be true that the over 65s are less likely to be obsessed with their smartphones, TikToking their friends and Instagramming their lunch, this generation, it turns out, could teach millennials a thing or two when it comes to online security.
According to Government research, young people are actually less security-aware and more likely to reuse passwords than the older generation.
Surprisingly, the Home Office’s Cyber Aware campaign revealed that 43 per cent of 16-25 year olds use the same password for their email as they do for some of their other accounts, while, shockingly, 6 per cent use the same password for their email as they do for all their other online accounts.
In comparison, only 13 per cent of respondents aged between 55 and 75 said some of their passwords are the same as their email password, and only 1 per cent of respondents in that age group said they use the same password across all accounts.
So if older people are comparatively careful when it comes to online security, why do they still need a password manager to help them with passwords and PINs?
Online users need a system to cope with the ever-increasing number of passwords in their lives (“password overload”).
While this generation should be applauded for taking a more rigorous approach to online security compared to some younger members of the population, with ever more passwords to remember, how is anyone remembering them all?
Nowadays we have to use a great many websites and apps during our daily lives. All of these require passwords and have other security checks. There is no avoiding all these security requirements as these website and apps also hold vast amounts of our personal information all of which needs protection.
Passwords pose a challenge for most of us, but as some people get older, they are also faced with the additional challenge of memory retention. Being able to quickly and easily recall passwords and PINs for all your essential online accounts becomes even more important.
So what’s the solution to one of the most annoying things about our modern lives?
Can a password manager help?
Most people have their own systems for dealing with their passwords. This normally revolves around writing them down or recording them electronically in some way. However all of these approaches are far from ideal, they are inefficient, inconvenient and certainly not secure enough (even if password protected).
Cyber security advisers recommend that online users should routinely use a Password Manager to improve their online security.
Password managers work as an online vault, securely storing all of your passwords and Pins and other key confidential data in one place. They encrypt this data with one master password, and that’s all you need to remember.
These password managers make your online life significantly easier because you don’t have to remember numerous passwords, which means you can make each individual password as long and complex as you like – thus vastly improving your overall on-line security and protecting your data and assets.
So a Password Manager is the solution then? Well, unfortunately it is not that simple!
When the National Cyber Security Centre (UK Government Department) recently carried out a survey it found that only 21% of UK online Users say that they “Always or Often” use a Password Manager, even though 80% of respondents said that cyber security was a high priority for them.
So why do only a small proportion of the population use Password Managers?
Anecdotal evidence indicates that password managers are just not meeting the needs of many online users, they are too technical, complicated, and intimidating. They use a lot of technical jargon and in some cases take quite a lot of effort to set them up properly, including having to install extensions to your browser. They also have website and app functionality and centrally managed cloud database services. No one likes to use a system which they do not really understand, especially where ones Passwords are involved.
Secondly, Password Managers can cost quite a lot, normally in the range of £20-£60 a year for the full service. Free service versions are available, but they provide limited capability and can become frustrating when the user is restricted on what they can do or how many records they can store. The free versions are only really offered to eventually entice or coerce the user into eventually moving to the paid-for premium version.
Existing password managers therefore do not have universal acceptance, far from it!
DataCave - a new type of password manager (quick, simple, secure)
DataCave was designed because it was felt that the other Password Managers on the market were far too complicated, too expensive and did not meet the needs of the average online user.
The working assumption is that the average online user just wants speed, simplicity and security and that is about it! (effectively a secure, automated ‘Little Black Book’).
So that is what DataCave was designed to do!
- DataCave takes less 2 minutes to setup, then you are ready to go.
- A user’s passwords, PINs and other key data are only stored on the user’s own mobile devices where it is encrypted. No centralised databases.
- Encryption means that only the user can read their data, no one else can.
- A user can normally find any Password or PIN, or any other stored information, they need to recall in 2-3 seconds.
- DataCave has been designed along ‘Privacy by Design’ principles, so that it can never see or read the data in the app, only you can (This is called Zero knowledge Protocol).
- If your device is lost or stolen the DataCave app and your data and be remotely deleted.
- DataCave security has been independently verified by a recognized global security company (Claranet). Their report is available on the DataCave app.
- DataCave has been priced for everyone to be able to afford the DataCave service. It is available at an subscription price of only £0.99 per year. Furthermore, the DataCave Team is so confident that users will love the DataCave app that they are offering it free for an incredible 12-month introductory period.
So if you are looking for a way to relieve for your Password Pain, why not give DataCave a try?
DataCave - Instant Password Recall
