Security for older Mac (and older Mom).

[pmbooks]

My mother (94) relies on her iMac for most of her communication and connection with the outside world. It's 10 years old and consequently stuck on an older OS (without security updates). Since she does access her bank accounts, should I talk her into getting a new iMac (she can afford it for the sake of security)? I am just assuming that the older the computer, the more security threat there is, especially for an older and less keen-eyed user.

Thoughts?

 

[iluvmacs99]

My mother (94) relies on her iMac for most of her communication and connection with the outside world. It's 10 years old and consequently stuck on an older OS (without security updates). Since she does access her bank accounts, should I talk her into getting a new iMac (she can afford it for the sake of security)? I am just assuming that the older the computer, the more security threat there is, especially for an older and less keen-eyed user.

Thoughts?

Hmmm, 10 years old is old in computer terms. You didn't mention what OS is she on currently and if she has Malwarebytes installed and what browser she is using now? You can stretch a decade old machine a bit more by installing Malwarebytes and paying for subscription and that will help prevent older Macs from being attacked by malware and ransomware, which are more common today than a virus infection. She can also install Brave or Microsoft Edge as both browsers still support older machines and OS. Having the latest browser will allow you to bank safely since the bank website will test the version of her browser for safety before it will allow her to bank through https. And tell her not to download anything sketchy that's too good to be true and she should be fine.

My dad is running my 2009 17" Macbook Pro with Linux Mint 20 (not a Mac OS) with Brave and does online banking and email perfectly fine and safe since Mint 20 is a modern OS and supports the latest Brave browser.

If she can afford a new computer, then it's probably best to get one of the new iMacs. But if you're on a shoe string budget like my dad is, then a little bit of software upgrading can renew an old computer and use it for today's online banking.

Hope this helps.

 

[Fishrrman]

Get her one of the m1 Minis.

Also get her a 27" display, 1080p.
Yes, I said 1080p.

The text/numbers displayed at normal font sizes will be larger, and easier for her to make out. Much easier for an older person to read. I've found with age, it's not so much "the clarity" of the text, but the SIZE that makes the difference for me.

Get her all set up and say "here you go, mom...!"

 

[Mousse]

With older, less tech savvy folks you need to watch out more for social engineering. While making sure you protect her computer from malware, be sure to set up the filters on her email to block scammers. Retirees often fall victims to scams.

 

[The Hammer]

Hmmm, 10 years old is old in computer terms. You didn't mention what OS is she on currently and if she has Malwarebytes installed and what browser she is using now? You can stretch a decade old machine a bit more by installing Malwarebytes and paying for subscription and that will help prevent older Macs from being attacked by malware and ransomware, which are more common today than a virus infection. She can also install Brave or Microsoft Edge as both browsers still support older machines and OS. Having the latest browser will allow you to bank safely since the bank website will test the version of her browser for safety before it will allow her to bank through https. And tell her not to download anything sketchy that's too good to be true and she should be fine.

My dad is running my 2009 17" Macbook Pro with Linux Mint 20 (not a Mac OS) with Brave and does online banking and email perfectly fine and safe since Mint 20 is a modern OS and supports the latest Brave browser.

If she can afford a new computer, then it's probably best to get one of the new iMacs. But if you're on a shoe string budget like my dad is, then a little bit of software upgrading can renew an old computer and use it for today's online banking.

Hope this helps.

Great advice. I've decided to take some of it. I've downloaded Edge and I just have to figure out how it works. I'm still thinking about MBAM. Currently running High Sierra on a 2017 21.5 iMac.

 

[satcomer]

You should open a OpenDNS.com and block known Trojan sites and block porn sites! It’s a free account where you can set it up in her internet router and then it will always be there!

 

[Ritsuka]

High Sierra can still run the current Chrome/Firefox/Edge versions, so install one of them.
Set System Preferences -> Security to App Store only. The app you installed will still work, but new ones won't be able to run, so if your mom downloads a malware she won't be able to manually run it.

 

[Bodhitree]

I’m in a similar situation, with my 71 year-old mother who is using a 2011 21.5” iMac running High Sierra. It will be alright for a little while longer but eventually she will have to move to a new Mac. Luckily she can afford it, but she is not interested in learning new software, she is getting quite dependent on knowing where everything is.

 

[Euroamerican]

^--upvote then for sticking with a MacOS computer!

 

[pmbooks]

Thank you all for your replies!! I learned something from each one.