Alchemy for the Digital Age
Alchemy for the Digital Age
Navigating How to Protect Your Data After 50
I am always amused when young people think they are complimenting someone over 50 when it's a backhanded compliment. For instance, last Saturday at the Morningside Farmers’ Market, I paid for a loaf of bread with a flick of my left wrist using Apple Pay on my watch. The 20-something guy who waited on me said, with cheerful earnestness, “I love it when people your age know how to use new technology.”
Ah, digital youth who live in their illusionary bubble of big-tech nirvana. One perspective that comes with age suggests we live on the verge of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a Modern-Day Prometheus, a cautionary tale about “a hasty technologist in love with invention, who luxuriates in his own genius,” as described by Professor Elizabeth Nelson, co-author of The Art of Inquiry. How will our 21st version of this story play out?
Only time will tell. But who looks at their watch for the actual time?
The Technical Truth
To be clear, I didn’t buy an Apple Watch to recapture my youth (I highlight my hair for that). I purchased the watch for Apple Pay’s near-unbreakable, iron-clad data encryption.
It’s my response to the letters I receive from companies about data breaches. You know, the letters where they tell you that your personal information has been compromised. And the CEO, who earns a gazillion dollars, is as baffled as anyone about how this happened but feels terrible about it.
“So sorry. Your data. Our bad.”
We live in a world where we must solve problems created by technologists. These companies assume that technology is neutral, leaving its use—and the risks—up to the consumer. If we want to use it, we pay the price by handing over our data, often at our own risk. When something goes wrong, like a data breach, our ability to protect ourselves depends on how much we know about navigating these technologies—knowledge that isn't always second nature, especially for those who didn’t grow up with it.
As of August 26, 2024, The Motley Fool reported that 68% of identity theft victims are 50 years or older. I can’t help but wonder if this is because, as digital immigrants, we don’t know what we don’t know about living in this ethereal digital ecosystem. We live uncertain about the future or fear that some invisible digital “black hand” (à la The Godfather) has exploitative powers to empty our bank accounts.
Alchemy is Transformation
However, as current readers know and new readers (welcome!) will learn, daily alchemists are transformers. Making the invisible visible is all in a day’s magic. So, let’s reveal some fifty-something alchemical hacks to keep our community safe.
If you’ve experienced identity theft, you’re familiar with the feelings of anger, violation, and embarrassment. What did you miss? How could this have happened? Little by little, these negative vibes diminish us. Through continuous learning, the hallmark of modern alchemists, we can transform these heavy negative energies into empowering skills. We fear no thieves because we know there are tools to help keep us safe.
Tips from the Alchemist’s Digital Toolbox
While some of these tips may be familiar, it always helps to have a digital checkup. Please share your questions, thoughts, and suggestions in the comment section.
Tip #1: Lock Your Phone Screen: Most people prefer to leave their phones unlocked because they don’t want to enter a passcode or set up fingerprint or facial recognition. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), only 25% of phone theft victims noticed their phones had been stolen within the first hour. If the phone is unlocked, thieves crack open your financial data within seconds.
Tip #2: Consider a Real-World RFID Wallet: This is like putting an aluminum foil hat over your bank cards to protect them from would-be techno-thieves. Available from almost all retailers, these physical wallets prevent thieves with RFID (radio frequency identification readers) from extracting data from the cards in your pocket, purse, or bag.
Tip #3: Set Transaction Alerts for Every Transaction: This step has been invaluable for me. Identity thieves often start with small transactions you are unlikely to notice, such as $10 at a convenience store. After a few small transactions, they go for the $700 velvet portrait of Elvis, and they keep going until they’ve maxed out your cards. If you set a transaction alert in your account security settings, you can freeze your card immediately—the moment they purchase that $10 Elvis and Priscilla snow globe.
Tip #4: Never Click: I often get emails and texts from what appear to be banks and other companies that look perfect and read like a modern Shakespeare wrote them. First, I know whatever horror they say has just happened with my bank or credit card is untrue because I use transaction alerts. I never click the enclosed links. Instead, I follow up by closing my email and going directly to the account website to verify that all is well. Then, I return to the text or email, report it as junk, and block the sender.
Tip #5: Credit File Freeze: Once the identity thief has purchased that $700 velvet portrait of Elvis, he or she wants to display it in a new home. So, they use your information for a home loan, for example. But, if you freeze your credit file with all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion), the realtor or mortgage lender will be denied access to verify your credit information. Only you can lift the freeze with unique details supplied by credit bureaus.
Tip #6: Change Passwords: No one likes to do this. I’m not particularly interested in taking the time to do it, but I do it periodically. In my case, I use the “strong passwords” suggested by the browser Safari and store them in my keychain. You might use the same feature in a browser like Chrome or Firefox. When every account has a unique password, it becomes more difficult and time-consuming for identity thieves to hack your information.
P.S. Do not use your pet’s name for your password. It’s not difficult if an identity thief hacks your veterinarian, favorite pet store, or groomer to take your pet’s name or other details and scramble them around in a diabolical decoder to generate the personal information required to steal from you. According to the security company Assure, 39% of Americans use their pet’s name as their password!
Tip #7: Use 2FA (Two-factor Authentication): Consider this for every account, including social media. While it’s an extra step, it’s a valuable security tool. Identity thieves are interested in low-hanging fruit. By making it harder to breach your account, they and their algorithm bots have less incentive to crack yours.
Tip #8: Consider a Digital Wallet: ApplePay, GooglePay, and Venmo are examples of digital wallets that use encryption to add additional security to transactions. You, too, can pay with the flick of a wrist with your watch. In addition to security, I like this method because I don’t have to open and close my bag whenever I want to purchase something, and I’m not juggling with my phone.
Keeping Our Data—and Ourselves—Safe
Each small practice, from freezing credit to using digital wallets, is a step toward raising awareness. If there’s one suggestion you have not tried but will consider or try today, that’s empowering. Our tech-centric world is one of opportunities and threats. Like Dorothy in OZ, parts of our emerging AI world will be awe-inspiring, while others will be dark, dangerous, and ugly.
Let's work together to create thriving experiences at any age in the Digital Age.
This Week’s Affirmation
I am empowered by technology, transforming vulnerabilities into strength and wisdom as I confidently protect my digital self.
This Week’s Journal Prompts
Consider a time when you felt challenged by new technology. How did you overcome that challenge, and in what ways did it change your perspective on the digital world?
What are the steps you currently take to protect your personal information online? How can you transform your approach to digital security into a more mindful and empowering practice?
Sweet Treat: Apple Bars!
My dear friends at Blissful Table developed this delicious recipe for apple bars. I like to taste theirs and then try the recipe myself. In NYC, they do the Farmers’ market circuit every week.
Thanks, Melissa. This is so grim, I do have so many alerts, including alerts from alert companies, like McAfee, and so no one knows who to trust. Guarding one's cards, etc. and some of these are easy, but thanks for pointing out the sneaky ways we can get hacked and robbed. Thanks for writing this public service piece.