“Lack of experience does not make them idiots”: Educating older adults about cybersecurity

Older adults are increasingly aware of the importance of maintaining strong levels of cyber hygiene. While cybersecurity-related classes have been developed to support this community, there remains a paucity in guidance available to instructors to help tailor courses to the unique needs and abilities of older adults. The study described in this article, investigated the recommendations of twelve instructors who teach cybersecurity primarily to older adults, with a view to determining best practices for ways to support cyber hygiene among the community. Insights were identified relating to instructor motivation for teaching older adults, and teaching challenges encountered. Instructor recommendations were voiced relating to ways in which information could be retained, applied outside of the classroom, and disseminated to others. Insights gleaned from this study can be used by current instructors and other interested parties, such as friends, family and advocates, aiming to better support older adults' cyber hygiene.