We all know that criminals like to target the most vulnerable in society, as they are of course the easiest to exploit.

This phenomenon has been seen in the way that mail scams focus on the older generation as well as those who have responded to scamming campaigns before. The same thing is now being seen on the Internet. Viruses are being found increasingly on websites aimed at the older generation. Those over the age of 50 are generally less tech savvy, and therefore less likely to perceive a virus threat. They are more likely to comply with the demands of the criminal malware agency.

Imitation and criminal demands

Those of us who have been unfortunate enough to contract a common computer virus know how they work. The virus infects your computer, closing down its main functions, and depending on how advanced the virus is could make it unresponsive. The malware shows messages on your computer screen, often imitating a popular software company such as Windows in an attempt to trick the computer user. It will demand a payment to fix computer problems, possibly only allowing interactions needed for this payment to be completed.

Of course, those of us with a moderate quantity of computing experience will recognise the virus immediately, and know that making the payment will not fix the problem. We will try our best to shut down the virus ourselves – sometimes succeeding, other times needing to take the computer to a professional technician. Eventually, the virus will be eliminated and we will have learnt our lesson about installing good software protection and not browsing through dodgy websites.

But for others – particularly those of the older generation – the trouble doesn’t end like that. Many do believe the claims made in the virus messages, and comply with criminal demands. After providing an initial payment they have sent themselves up for years of hassle from scam criminals. In some cases, the effects have been life ruining.

How we can stop this happening

As anti-scam technicians and software developers work hard to prevent computer software being prone to infection, there are things we can do to help the efforts. Firstly we can educate people about the threats of viruses and how they work, utilising online blogs such as these. Enabling individuals to identify a threat can be a big step towards reducing the number of virus victims.

Additionally, those of us who have friends and family members who could be vulnerable should help out. Both elderly relatives and non tech-savvy young people could benefit from the advice of someone with more computer know-how. Set up an anti-virus software programme for them to prevent them falling victim to online criminals.

The online world is a fantastic place, but just like the real world threats are everywhere. Whilst efforts are made to eliminate them, they probably won’t ever truly be gone. Avoid hassle or exploitation by an online thief by taking the issue of Internet security seriously.

Guest Article by Connor Sephton