Thanks to a new partnership, the Emporia Senior Center has a pair of new computers to help residents learn the basics about computer operations and the hazards of cyber crime.
The computers come to the Senior Center from Emporia State’s Cybersecurity Research and Outreach Center. CyROC Director Leticia Rust says this is a good project for several reasons.
Senior Center Director Carla Fessler tells KVOE News this project is borne out of personal experience, especially with her mother, and a chance conversation.
The computers let seniors send and read emails, as well as learn more about functions like Word or Excel. They also set the stage for more education through CyROC staffers and students.
Seniors are now a regular target for cyber criminals, and cyber crime is now more lucrative than drug trafficking when it comes to illegal activity. Forbes Online reports over 2,300 cyberattacks last year, with over 340 million people victimized. Last year also had a better than 70 percent increase in data breaches over 2021.
This is the latest brick in the relationship between Emporia State and the Senior Center. It’s a relationship that dates back to 1983 when the Blue Key Honor Society worked on fundraising and providing seed money for the facility’s opening.
