The Press Conference on the official launch of the national program "CYBERSECURITY. Initiative for Seniors", a project initiated by the Romanian Institute for Active Aging Association and carried out in partnership with - ICI Bucharest and with ACRONIS - cyber protection and data protection software.
Special guests were Alexandra Dobre, President of the Association Romanian Institute for Active Aging, Adrian Victor Vevera, General Director of ICI Bucharest, Radu Antohi, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization and Silvia Filip, Sales Manager Europe ACRONIS.
More than 100 members of the Romanian Institute for Active Aging Association were present, who learned about how important it is for older people to enjoy the benefits of modern technology and that they will acquire the necessary knowledge to avoid inherent risks such as PHISHING, CYBER-BULLYING, ACCESS TO PERSONAL DATA or EXPLOITATION of CYBER SECURITY BREACHES.
"Currently, almost anyone can access online the news of the day, consult various websites, access and watch various programs and shows, manage their bank account and pay various bills; our seniors use social networks very well and communicate by e-mail and all this with minimal effort. But, for their protection, cyber security measures must be adopted," - said Alexandra Dobre. "The statistics from Romania regarding phishing attempts and the increased number of victims are worrying, especially among the elderly; they aim to obtain bank data or access to bank accounts and social media accounts, accounts created for online stores, courier companies or personal email. In order to stop being safe targets and victims of cyber attackers, seniors must learn, for example, what the main cyber threats are and how to recognise the signs of an attempted attack online. These courses, with dedicated training sessions, aim at cyber security and the prevention of online fraud, but the recognition and avoidance of cyber attacks by educating seniors on protection methods".
"Through this national program, with the input of our specialists and experts, seniors will be able to acquire minimal technical knowledge about using strong passwords, how to update software and configure, for example, privacy settings on social networks. Personal data protection and online identity protection methods are essential," - said Adrian Victor Vevera, Director General of ICI Bucharest. "At the same time, they will learn how to protect their devices - phones, computers, tablets, laptops - against the most common cyber threats and will benefit from the input and involvement of specialists and experts from the National Institute for Research - Development in Informatics in Bucharest who turns 54 this year and represents the most important institute in the field of research, development and innovation in information and communication technology in Romania. So we guarantee the excellent involvement, partnership and collaboration we have with the Institute for Active Aging Association, and our role is to help its members ensure their own cyber security, which is essential today".
Special guest at this event, Radu Antohi, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, emphasised the importance of this project in a world that is constantly moving and changing and in which elderly people should also be offered the opportunity to learn as much as possible more in the context of a multidisciplinary approach to the concept of active ageing: "It is an honour to be with you today at the launch of the national cybersecurity initiation campaign for seniors, an essential project for the safety and well-being of the older generation of our society. We live in a digitised world where the internet and technology have become indispensable in our daily activities. More and more services are available online, from paying bills and communicating with family and friends to accessing medical services. But with these opportunities come risks, and older people are sometimes vulnerable to cyber dangers. That is why this project is a priority for us. Through this campaign, we aim to support seniors nationwide in navigating the digital space safely by informing them of the main risks and providing them with resources to protect themselves. We have proposed collaborating with cyber security specialists, NGOs, and local authorities to organise training sessions in each county so that seniors can access this information easily. At the same time, we will launch a dedicated online platform where they will be able to find educational materials adapted to their needs, which will be easy to understand and applicable. This campaign demonstrates our commitment to creating a safer and more inclusive society. We invite everyone to support this endeavour and help create a friendly and safe digital environment for our seniors. Thank you, and I assure you that the Government will continue to support initiatives that promote safety and a better quality of life for all citizens."
"I congratulate Alexandra Dobre for this initiative, which I already consider a soul project, especially since it is dedicated to seniors, an extremely vulnerable category from this point of view. That is why we want to help them to manage in the online environment and especially not to become safe victims from the point of view of cyber security, while technology conquers us and makes us dependent on communication, access to information, commerce online, bill payment and many other services without which many of us can no longer imagine our existence!" – mentioned Silvia Filip, ACRONIS Sales Director
