New report from Avast reveals a generational role reversal as younger Brits teach their elders to dodge digital dangers
With scammers growing smarter and older generations often in their crosshairs, Avast, a consumer Cyber Safety brand of Gen™, released a new study revealing how families are stepping up to protect their own – one slightly awkward tech talk at a time. The study highlights just how vulnerable older loved ones are, and the challenges families face in bridging this generational digital divide.
The Avast Safe Tech Report found that an alarming 52% of Brits with older loved ones say their elders have already fallen victim to cybercrime. Of those affected, over a quarter (26%) experienced a scam while one in five (21%) fell victim to financial fraud, among other serious threats such as data breaches and identity theft. Avast also found that 80% of cybercrime is originating from scams and social engineering – where cybercriminals manipulate people into giving money or personal information. These are not isolated incidents. They reflect a pattern of consistent risk with devastating consequences for one of the UK’s most vulnerable demographics.
“Technology moves fast and we often focus on its impact on younger generations, but we can’t ignore how it affects our parents and grandparents, too,” said Leyla Bilge, Global Head of Scam Research for Avast. “Think of the safety guidance you would get on a flight – put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. The same applies to Cyber Safety: learn the tips and then you can help family and friends. Even a single conversation could make a big difference.”
“Like many of us, I’ve seen firsthand how easily a loved one can be misled by a convincing scam,” said Jorij Abraham, Managing Director, Global Anti-Scam Alliance. “Empowering families to talk openly about online safety is essential. We need to make sure our parents and grandparents feel supported, not ashamed, when it comes to digital security.”
For many, that dreaded parental “talk” was once a rite of passage. Now, the roles have reversed and the guidance is coming from the younger loved ones. Families across the UK are realizing that online safety is a full-family affair and they’re stepping up. According to the study, a majority 58% of Brits with older loved ones have stepped in to help an older relative avoid a cyber threat, with Gen Z and Millennials leading the way; over half (56%) say they’ve recently taught an older family member something about staying safe online.
Turns out the young ones aren’t just being dramatic. There’s good reason the family group chat might be blowing up about tech scams. A worrying 41% of Brits with older loved ones believe their older relatives would fall for a scam if targeted, and nearly one in three (30%) believe that their older loved ones engage in risky online habits. What’s making younger folks sweat when thinking about their older loved ones online? Clicking suspicious links tops the list (68%), followed by answering unknown calls (60%), oversharing personal info (55%), using weak passwords (51%) and replying to mystery texts (47%). In fact, 85% of these concerned adults even shared a word to the wise, but their warnings went largely unheard, with less than half (48%) actually changing their online habits.
To take control of your Cyber Safety together with your loved ones, Avast experts encourage having the Safe Tech Talk and focusing on these top five best practices:
Have the Safe Tech Talk
- Learn Cyber Safety best practices and share them with your loved ones.
- If you receive scam messages, texts, or calls, warn friends and family and share the examples to spark a conversation about safety.
- Offer support and help with safeguarding their devices, personal information and finances.
- You can put up this printable flyer with more safety tips in the home office or wherever your loved ones are sure to see the reminders.
Practice Safe Tech
- Strengthen Password Habits: Use long, unique passwords for each account – at least 15-20 characters with a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid personal information and consider using a password manager, such a Norton Password Manager.
- Spot the Red Flags: Be cautious with unsolicited emails, texts or calls claiming to be from banks, NHS or tech support. Scams often create a false sense of urgency to trigger quick action.
- Know the Common Scams: Become familiar with the top scams targeting older adults, such as phishing, tech support hoaxes, romance scams, grandparent scams, fake software updates and NHS fraud.
- Set Up Smart Safety Tools: Protect phones, computers and tablets with security software that includes scam protection, such as Avast with Scam Guardian, and use a secure browser such as Avast Secure Browser. Keep devices and apps updated.
- Make Cyber Safety a Team Effort: Create a “phone-a-friend” plan and run things by someone you trust if you’re in doubt about whether a message or request is legitimate.
Just like locking your doors or testing your smoke alarms, Cyber Safety can become part of the routine. Make it a family priority by being a trusted source for guidance and remind your loved ones – there’s no such thing as a silly question when it comes to staying safe online, only missed chances to protect yourself. To explore the full findings from the 2025 Avast Safe Tech Report and get practical advice to kickstart your own Safe Tech Talk, please visit https://newsroom.gendigital.com/Avast-Safe-Tech-Report.
About The Avast Safe Tech Report
The study was conducted online within the United Kingdom by Dynata on behalf of Gen from 24th April to 8th May 2025 among 1,000 adults ages 18 and older. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, and region, to be nationally representative.
Avast is a leader in digital security and privacy, and part of Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Avast protects hundreds of millions of users from online threats, for Mobile, PC or Mac, and is top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Avast is a member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware, No More Ransom and Internet Watch Foundation. Learn more at Avast.com.
