Individuals ages 50-75 are spending an average of five hours a day online, with some 88pc considering themselves equally or more tech-savvy compared to others their age, but many are putting their security at risk, McAfee’s Fifty Plus Booms Online study suggests.
Many 50-75-year-olds have voluntarily shared personal information with people they have never met in person (this does not include online shopping or business transactions), the study revealed.
Overall, 57pc have shared information or posted personal information online. This includes 52pc who have shared their email address, 27pc who have shared their mobile phone number and 26pc who have shared their home address.
Michelle Dennedy, vice-president and chief privacy officer at McAfee, said the use of social networks among people over the age of 50 is trending now that it’s become more commonplace across all age groups.
“It seems counter intuitive that sharing personal information with strangers would not concern them, however. This further highlights their need to better understand the difference between the real and perceived dangers online and how to best protect themselves,” Dennedy said.
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