Debated in Parliament on 3 Mar 2022.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) how many seniors did the SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme reach out to last year; (b) whether there are any plans to expand this outreach target, especially to those who have not attended any similar programmes and do not live with younger family members; (c) if so, what are these plans; and (d) how does the programme ensure that seniors are continuously educated on the latest types of scams, given the evolving nature of scams.
Mr Speaker, we are very mindful about how digitalisation impacts our vulnerable groups. In 2021, we launched the SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme to raise awareness of cyber threats and encourage adoption of good cyber hygiene among seniors. More than 14,000 seniors have attended this programme between July and December 2021. We target to reach out to 50,000 seniors by 2023.
The programme reaches out to as many seniors as possible by working through various channels, such as pop-up events, webinars, as well as the SG Digital Community Hubs across Singapore. These hubs are conveniently located at community centres and public libraries, and seniors can walk-in to any of these hubs for one-on-one sessions with a Digital Ambassador. In addition to CSA’s SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme, my Ministry also engages seniors on digital skills through other platforms, such as e-getai and dialect drama series, and IMDA’s SG Digital Office and NLB’s SURE programmes. For example, IMDA's SG Digital Office has reached out to more than 130,000 seniors and the curriculum and the types of interactions can certainly include cyber hygiene practices.
The curriculum for the SG Cyber Safe Seniors Programme is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure its relevance. For example, with online scams being a growing threat, we have recently included more tips for seniors to guard against online scams.
Through MCI’s surveys, such as the Digital Readiness Survey about to be released, we know that more can be done to improve the awareness and adoption of good cyber hygiene practices, such as the use of two-factor authentication and antivirus software. This is especially so for our seniors. We will continue to engage our seniors to empower them to stay safe and secure online.
Mr Yip Hon Weng.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for her reply. Are there plans to involve caregivers or family members of seniors for such programmes? Will MCI also rope in the Silver Generation Ambassadors for scam education as part of Silver Generation Office's (SGO) outreach into the community?
Mr Speaker, the short answers to Mr Yip's questions are both yes.
In terms of how we reach out to the seniors, one method that has proven to be very effective is peer learning and support. That is a method that we will continue to deploy. But he is also right that families, friends and caregivers of the seniors are another potential group that we can include, and I thank him for his suggestion. As to the involvement of the Silver Generation Ambassadors, yes, the answer is, we will equally reach out through them.
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