Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) awarded Shreyas Kapavarapu The Congressional Award, an honor celebrating young people’s initiative, service, and accomplishments.
Rising Cyber Threats to Seniors Spark Community Response: The Birth and Journey of Cyber-Knights
SAN JOSE, CA, UNITED STATES, September 25, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — Last year, a local resident’s grandmother became a victim of a cyber scam, losing her private banking information. Sadly, her ordeal was not unique. The 2022 FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center Report (https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2022_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf) disclosed alarming statistics: a sharp 84% increase in cyber threats targeting seniors from the previous year, affecting over 88,000 elderly individuals and causing a financial blow of $3.1 billion.
Reacting to the alarming rise in cybercrimes and driven by his personal experiences, a local advocate drove on his public speaking experiences from high school debate and cybersecurity experience from participating in cybersecurity competitions. Recognizing the acute vulnerability of seniors in an increasingly digital society, he took upon the mission of cybersecurity education for the elderly, motivated by research that indicated that awareness programs might slash the susceptibility of seniors to cyberattacks by a notable 45%.
Backed by a tech caregiver certification from the distinguished American Air Force Association’s cybersecurity division, the Cyber-Knights initiative was born. What began as a small-scale neighborhood awareness campaign swiftly morphed into a community-wide movement. Over the span of 20 months, with strategic collaborations with the San Jose Parks & Recreation Department and CyberSenior.org, Shreyas and his newfound team created educational resources. Their efforts reached 2,500 seniors across 60% of senior centers in San Jose, providing information on key cyber safety areas ranging from phishing threats to secure internet practices.
In recognition of these commendable volunteer efforts, the leader of Cyber-Knights, Shreyas Kapavarapu, was recently honored with the Gold Service Award by the congressional award team. The success of Cyber-Knights is attributed to its holistic approach—right from forging strategic collaborations to simplifying the labyrinth of cybersecurity terminologies for seniors. The commitment to seniors’ digital safety remained non-negotiable, emphasizing clarity in communication and continuous content relevance.
Cyber-Knights’ growth underscores the community’s resilience in facing challenges head-on and the value of collective efforts. The organization’s journey is a beacon, highlighting the importance of adaptability, community collaboration, and unwavering determination in catalyzing societal transformative change. Please contact us at https://cyber-knights.org/ if you need more information.
Shreyas Kapavarapu
Cyber-Knights
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