Stouffville Group Launches Innovative Cybersafety for Seniors Project
Whitchurch-Stouffville, November 12, 2020 /PR/ KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the KnowledgeWise Project, the first-of-its-kind, senior-centric training program. The project is currently recruiting a team of senior volunteers who will develop the training material specifically to meet the learning needs of seniors. “We have trained hundreds of individuals over the years and we recognize that seniors have unique learning requirements that often differ from other audiences. Some participants may have hearing loss or visual challenges that make traditional PowerPoint presentations less effective. Some individuals may have physical challenges that need to be addressed. This project will draw upon the experience and knowledge of seniors in our community to develop and deliver the training material to their peers.” said Claudiu Popa, Co-Founder of KnowledgeFlow.
With cybercrime incidents increasing steadily year-over-year over the past decade (Statistics Canada), seniors have become prime targets, exacerbated by the COVID Pandemic which has seen the development of specific scams involving everything from scammers offering assistance to complete fraudulent financial assistance application forms, selling bogus cleaning or health supplies, posing as fake charities and requesting donations, to posing as Public Health employees and requesting health card and other personal information (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre). The cybersafety training of the KnowledgeWise project will cover many aspects of protecting personal information and preventing identity theft, including:
Recognizing the signs of a scam
Password management best-practices
Software and other tools to prevent data theft
Multi-factor authentication
Phishing, malware and spyware
Evaluating privacy policies
“The seniors who volunteer don’t need to have Cybersafety expertise. We are looking for seniors who want to get involved and help their peers. We will provide our volunteers with the cybersafety training. They will provide us with their unique perspectives and experiences which will inform how the training is developed and delivered.” explained Debra Popa, Executive Director of KnowledgeFlow. When asked if seniors were likely to volunteer during the pandemic, she replied, “All Public Health safety protocols will be adhered to throughout the project. Most of the work, especially initially, will need to be conducted virtually using video conferencing and other communications tools. This is the perfect time to get involved.”
“We are excited to launch this initiative which is funded in part by the Government of Canada. We are very proud of the fact that our entire team of professionals work on a strictly pro-bono basis. All of the funds raised for this project go directly to developing and delivering the training materials.” added Paige Backman, Co-Founder of KnowledgeFlow.
If interested in supporting this initiative, please visit www.KnowledgeWise.ca or email info@KnowledgeWise.ca to join the volunteer team, request a mentor, get more information or to become a local sponsor.
About KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation
Founded in 2007 and incorporated as a non-profit in 2016 by co-founders Claudiu Popa, President of Informatica Corporation and Paige Backman, Partner at Aird and Berlis LLP, the foundation was developed to address the lack of authoritative and usable cybersafety information available to vulnerable sectors of the population. The foundation partners with community groups, school-parent councils and corporate sponsors to deliver free workshops, PA Day camps, learning events and seminars to youth, families and seniors.
Media Information
email: media@KnowledgeFlow.ca
www.KnowledgeFlow.ca
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