Intercultural Senior Center
Only 34% change them regularly
You’re invited to visit the Intercultural Senior Center (ISC), 5545 Center St., for the following: • Contact the ISC if you need help scheduling an appointment for your COVID-19 vaccination. • The ISC is scheduled to reopen on Monday, May 3. Inperson classes will be provided Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A COVID-19 vaccination is required. • Morning exercise classes. Mondays: Zumba. Wednesdays: Tai Chi. Fridays: Tai Chi/weights-balls-bands. Classes are held from 9 to 10. Bring water. Masks, which are available upon request, are required. The ISC follows CDC and state guidelines for physical distancing, as well as indoor health and safety protocols. These classes are open to 14 older adults only.
The importance of having secure passwords
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new study on older adults’ online behavior suggested that, although 74% claimed they take actions to protect themselves from cyberthreats, only 34% said they regularly changed and secured their passwords. Overall, older men and women believed they’re pretty secure on the Internet. For example, 64% said they never clicked on suspicious links in emails, 58% claimed they used antivirus software, and 57% never downloaded files received from people they don’t know. It’s also worth noting older adults took these • The ISC is offering online learning videos which can actions more often than be accessed from the safety and comfort of your home at younger people. interculturalseniorcenter.org and on Facebook at ISC Class However, when it came Connect. to one of the most important • Monthly food pantries are available at the ISC for perparts of cybersecurity — sons age 50 or older. passwords — older men and • The ISC is a site for ENOA’s Grab-n-Go meals Tueswomen fell behind. While days and Wednesdays. Reserve your meal before 10 a.m. 68% of them claimed they the day prior. Recipients must be age 60 or older. A contrihave a clear system in place, bution is suggested. that system isn’t necessar• The ISC’s SAVE bus can bring case management serily the most sophisticated. vices to your doorstep. As many as 57% admitted • The ISC is looking for home-delivered meals volunteers to simply memorizing their on Wednesdays and Fridays @ 10:30 a.m. More informapasswords, and 57% said tion is available at interculturalseniorcenter.org. they wrote them down on a For more information, please call 402-444-6529. piece of paper. Only 22% of respondents said they stored passwords in a password Charles E. Dorwart manager. Massih Law, LLC “It’s great to have one 40 years of legal experience clear system to manage all passwords. However, such • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate systems as writing them • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney down on a piece of paper • Medicaid Planning might not be the best solu• In-home consultations tion. This is not only be• Free Initial consultation cause paper is easy to lose 226 N. 114th Street • Omaha, NE 68154 or damage but also because Office: (402) 558-1404 or (402) 933-2111 it has limited accessibility,” chuck@massihlaw.com said Chad Hammond, secuwww.dorwartlaw.com
rity expert at NordPass. “For example, if you leave your password notebook at work, you won’t be able to access your passwords at home.” Older adults also tended to underestimate various password-related threats. As many as 39% thought the chances of their passwords being leaked were slim. According to the Risk Based Security report, there were 3,932 publicly reported data breaches that compromised more than 37 billion records. “That’s a lot of chances to get hacked,” Hammond said. In addition to that, 38% of older men and women felt safe enough not to be hacked, even though they reused passwords. As many as 34% though they’re secure enough not to be hacked, even though they don’t always create very strong passwords. Even if passwords get leaked, 29% of older adults believed there wasn’t much risk of them getting abused. And 28% don’t think any cybercriminal could be interested in their passwords. “There are a lot of misconceptions about what hackers do or don’t find interesting. A very common one is that hackers only target the rich and famous, but that’s not true,” Hammond said. “Everyone can be a target. In fact, various accounts end up for sale on the dark web. For example, a Facebook account is worth about $75,” he added. While older men and women do have some great habits when online (not clicking on suspicious links, etc.), he shared his top password hygiene tips for older adults towards a better online security: • Regularly update your passwords. It’s is recommended you update your passwords every 90 days. • Set up complex passwords. A great password should be long, unique, and contain a mix of different characters. Use a password generator if you’re struggling to come up with one. • Try out a password manager. Besides keeping your passwords secure, password managers can also tell if your credentials have been compromised in data breaches, warn you about old or reused passwords, and help generate strong passwords. (NordPass provided this information.)
Go to IRS.gov to get help claiming Ready to Downsize? your COVID-19 stimulus payments List your home with me for fast, hassle free, results. With my vast experience in marketing and promotion, I know how to present your home and get the attention of potential home buyers. Call me for a free consultation and let’s discuss your future.
Tom Becka
Better Homes and Gardens the Good Life Group
402-321-9590
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New Horizons
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ast year, the IRS experienced a wide range of difficulties issuing COVID stimulus payments; both the initial $1,200 payments for adults, the accompanying $500 payment for minor children, and the more recent $600 payment for both adults and minor children. While the agency did attempt to reach all qualified taxpayers and ensure correct payments throughout 2020, many taxpayers, including several older adults, are still waiting to receive all or some of their payments. The IRS was required by law to issue the first payment by Dec. 31, 2020 and the second payment by Jan. 15, 2021. The timeframe for processing all direct payments, including direct deposits or paper checks, has ended. This doesn’t mean the payments can no longer be claimed and received by qualified taxpayers, but that taxpayers will instead need to file a 2020 personal income tax re-
April 2021
turn and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040 SR. This Recovery Rebate credit covers all Economic Impact Payments not received, both $1,200 and $600 and can be done for free online. This also applies to older adults and retirees that normally don’t have to file personal income tax returns. You can find free-filing tools by visiting IRS.gov. The other option is to call the 211 Helpline operated locally by the United Way of the Midlands and ask for tax preparation assistance to claim your COVID payment. While this also is a free service, it may involve a waiting period. The IRS strongly encourages taxpayers to file electronically when possible, as this will avoid the congestion of the U.S. Postal Service that paper returns suffer from and also allow the payments to reach taxpayers much quicker. (This information was submitted from the office of U.S Representative Don Bacon.)
