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Older adults are some of the most targeted by cyber attacks and scams. In 2023, Americans over 60 reported losing $3.4 billion to fraud, with an average loss of about $33,000 per victim. (Source)

There are some (relatively easy) steps you can take to help combat this, so read on and take the required actions.

You can feel free to share this page with anyone who you think would find it useful: jessewgilbert.com/security-advice

Text me if you have any questions!

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Written by Jesse (jessewgilbert.com). Last updated January 2, 2026

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Highlights

1. If you don’t know how to do something, ask ChatGPT
2. Use good passwords and use a password manager to store them
3. Be aware of scams, people trying to get money or information from you
4. If you are ever uncertain, talk to ChatGPT or call me or another trusted person </aside>

If you don’t know how to do something, ask ChatGPT

• Try asking ChatGPT something right now! For example, you might want to know:
  • How do I come up with a good password?
  • How do I download the Bitwarden password manager?
  • What is two-factor authentication? How do I set it up?
• For advice like this, I’m pretty confident that it will give you good answers, although AI can sometimes give incorrect information, so for truly critical security decisions, verify with me or another trusted person.
• Don't share passwords, account numbers, or social security numbers with ChatGPT.

Use good passwords

• Good passwords are really important! Passwords must be:
  1. Strong - Not something an attacker could guess. Not your address, not your kids or grandkids’ names. It should be random, and actually random. See how to make good passwords below.
  2. Unique - You should have a different password for each of your accounts. If one of your accounts gets hacked, you don’t want attackers to gain access to all of your accounts.
• How to make good passwords (click the triangle on the left)
• If you have not used good passwords in the past, go through your most important accounts and change them to good passwords.
• Having strong and unique passwords makes them hard to remember; therefore, you must use a password manager to store them ⤵️

Use a password manager

• Choose a password manager
  • Good options include: Bitwarden, 1Password, Google Password Manager (built-in on Chrome), and Apple Password Manager (built-in on Apple devices). I’m sure there are others, too
    • The first two are slightly preferred, but the other ones are good enough, and the best password manager is the one you'll actually use.
  • If you’re in the market for a new/first password manager, Bitwarden is free and recommended by Wirecutter and some friends.
• For these password managers, you’ll be able to access your passwords across browsers and devices, and they will generate strong passwords, save them, autofill them, etc.

Use two-factor authentication on your most important accounts

• Two-factor authentication (2FA) means that after entering your password, you also need a second way to prove it's you - usually a code sent to your phone or generated by an app.
• This means that even if someone steals your password, they still can't get into your account without access to your phone.
• You should use this on your most important accounts, including bank accounts and your main email (like Gmail)
• To set it up, look for "Security" or "Privacy" in your account settings, then find "Two-factor authentication" or "Two-step verification." Or ask ChatGPT: "How do I enable two-factor authentication on [website name]?"

Take steps to combat scams

• Scams are getting more sophisticated and larger scale, sometimes targeting people in highly personalized ways, using voice clones, etc.