I upgraded my mom from an iPad to a Chromebook (her first computer) recently. I installed uBlock Origin and set a secure password for the Google account which I store in my password manager, and then instructed her to use the Chrome password manager when she needs it.
While I'm confident in the security of Chromebook in general, I'm worried by how readily she pulls out her credit card and types the number into obscure sites for purchasing wedding gifts, etsy items, etc. A few years ago she would click on Facebook ads and buy shit quality products for little reason, but I think she eventually learned not to do that.
At least it's a credit card and not a debit card. My dad manages the banking, and is a bit more sophisticated, but even he does things like install programs meant to protect him that actually expose him to more vulnerabilities. For example, there is some Symantec monstrosity installed on his computer that injects a green checkmark into Google search results next to each site it thinks is "trustworthy."
It's definitely frightening and mostly a numbers game whether they'll be the next victims of a scam.
While I'm confident in the security of Chromebook in general, I'm worried by how readily she pulls out her credit card and types the number into obscure sites for purchasing wedding gifts, etsy items, etc. A few years ago she would click on Facebook ads and buy shit quality products for little reason, but I think she eventually learned not to do that.
At least it's a credit card and not a debit card. My dad manages the banking, and is a bit more sophisticated, but even he does things like install programs meant to protect him that actually expose him to more vulnerabilities. For example, there is some Symantec monstrosity installed on his computer that injects a green checkmark into Google search results next to each site it thinks is "trustworthy."
It's definitely frightening and mostly a numbers game whether they'll be the next victims of a scam.