The Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF), represented by the Social Protection Department and in cooperation with the National Cyber Security Agency, organised two awareness workshops on “Digital Safety for Senior Citizens”, one for women and the other for men.

The workshops were delivered by Ms. Lulwa Mohammed Ibrahim, a certified trainer with the National Cyber Security Agency, and Ms. Ashwaq Al-Qahtani, Community Programmes Coordinator at the Ministry.

The workshops covered several awareness topics. The first, “Common Cyber Threats”, presented real-life scenarios of cybercrimes targeting senior citizens. It also explained the risks of social media and the vulnerabilities that hackers may exploit to steal personal data and accounts. The session also addressed social engineering attacks, which rely on emotional manipulation and on arousing curiosity and interest, as well as the risks of weak passwords, which can lead to accounts being hacked and taken over.

The second topic focused on prevention and on enhancing digital safety when using the internet and social media. It covered the principles of creating strong passwords and protecting them from theft and hacking, ways to secure social media accounts, and guidelines for dealing safely and effectively with suspicious links and cyber incidents in general.

Ms. Ashwaq Al-Qahtani, Community Programmes Coordinator III at the Ministry, then reviewed the Ministry’s efforts to empower priority care groups through digital services, including the Yusr e-platform and the Sukoon app. According to the presentation material, the Yusr platform aims to enable senior citizens with disabilities and their families to access reliable information on the services, facilities and support providers available in the State of Qatar. The Sukoon app is part of the effort to digitise the Unified Arabic Sign Language Dictionary and to support digital inclusion.

In a statement on the occasion, Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Mohannadi, Director of the Social Protection Department, said: “MSDF affirms that empowering senior citizens and persons with disabilities, and strengthening their right to independent living, inclusion and active participation in society, is a core pillar of its development vision. This is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, the relevant international conventions and charters, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which call for leaving no one behind.”

He added: “The Ministry implements its policies, initiatives and services based on a firm belief that comprehensive development can only be achieved with the participation of all segments of society, and that a dignified and independent life, equal opportunities and a better quality of life are inherent rights of senior citizens and persons with disabilities, ensuring that their dignity is preserved and their role and participation in society are strengthened.”