Cybersecurity for the Elderly Healthcare and Senior Communities

Elderly healthcare faces escalating cybersecurity threats, especially in tech-driven regions like Florida. As technology rapidly evolves, the elderly often find themselves marginalized, lacking the knowledge and motivation to keep up with the tech trends. Many seniors or even health care institutes unknowingly expose sensitive information, including financial details, home addresses, medical records, family member information, and even lifestyle habits. Consequently, this has resulted in irreversible financial losses and emotional distress. Recognizing the urgent need to empower the elderly with essential cybersecurity and anti-fraud knowledge, we are proposing to launch a series of cybersecurity workshops tailored specifically for senior communities, senior care partners, and senior healthcare institutes. These workshops will be conducted in person at community centers and organizations catering to the elderly, as well as online platforms serving senior citizens. Our mission extends beyond training;building cybersecurity workspaces in senior health care also plays a vital role. We believe that by imparting cybersecurity awareness and information security knowledge, we can establish a positive, healthy, and secure aging lifestyle.

Dr. Chengyi Qu joined FGCU as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computing & Software Engineering. Previously he was a research assistant at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Department of Energy at Argonne National Lab. Dr. Qu graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2023 with a Ph.D. in Computer Science. He also serves as a PI (subcontract) in FIU's 'Improving Cybersecurity Resilience for Florida State and Local Executive and Managerial Staff' program. His expertise encompasses cybersecurity, cloud computing, and computer networking. He is an IEEE ComSoc member.