Senior Cyber Safety Briefing for November 20, 2025

🏛️ FCC Faces Pushback Over Plan to Roll Back Telecom Cyber Rules

The FCC is preparing to reverse several cybersecurity requirements placed on U.S. telecom carriers after past high-impact network breaches. Lawmakers are warning that removing these safeguards could weaken national communications security.

Source:
Cybersecurity Dive

Why it matters to seniors:
Telecom networks power your phone, internet, emergency alerts, and tele-health connections. Weakening security rules raises the risk of outages, fraud, and data leaks — all of which disproportionately affect older adults.

---

🧠 “WrtHug” Campaign Hijacks Tens of Thousands of ASUS Routers

Security researchers confirmed a widespread cyber-operation exploiting six vulnerabilities in older ASUS WRT routers. The compromised devices are being used for espionage and to relay other attacks.

Source:
The Hacker News

Why it matters to seniors:
Many seniors keep routers running long after security support ends. A hacked router can lead to spying, stolen passwords, and infected devices inside the home. If your router is older than 5–7 years, it’s time for an upgrade.

---

💳 Florida’s “Operation Senior Shield” Responds to Fraud Surge

Florida launched a coordinated crackdown to combat elder financial crimes after a documented spike in fraud cases targeting older adults. The effort brings law enforcement, banks, and elder-affairs agencies together.

Source:
CBS12 News

Why it matters to seniors:
When a state as large as Florida sees a major spike, it usually means nationwide patterns. Scammers are actively targeting seniors with investment schemes, Medicare fraud, and “account verification” scams.

---

🛍️ Holiday Shopping Scams Intensify (Black Friday Lead-Up)

Security analysts are reporting a surge in fake holiday-deal emails and SMS messages coming from spoofed retailer names like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.

Source:
(Threat-intel reports within last 24 hrs)

Why it matters to seniors:
These messages look extremely real and use urgency (“One-day only!”). Clicking the link can install malware or steal account logins.

---

🔒 What seniors should do now

• Update or replace any router more than 5 years old.

• Ignore all “renewal” texts from Microsoft, Amazon, or Geek Squad.

• Visit retailers directly — do not click emailed holiday deals.

• Review bank and credit-card alerts, especially during holiday season.

• Confirm your carrier automatically blocks known scam calls/SMS.

---

(ChatGPT was used to help create this article.)
🙋 Closing Note
"Stay safe, stay secure, stay curious, and remember my friends — you're never too old to outsmart a scammer👋"