Senior Cyber Safety Briefing — November 19, 2025

🏛️ Federal Cybersecurity Support for Local Governments Moves Forward

The PILLAR Act has officially passed the House and is moving to the Senate. It extends federal cybersecurity grants that help protect local government systems, including water utilities, libraries, schools, and municipal IT services.

Source:
Governing

Why it matters to seniors:
Local governments store property records, tax data, utility account information, and sometimes health-related benefits data. Stronger funding helps keep your personal information safer.

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🏥 Health Sector Tightens Cyber Rules for Vendors

The Health Sector Coordinating Council released updated cybersecurity contract language for hospitals and medical-device manufacturers. This ensures vendors follow stricter protection standards when handling medical data.

Source:
AHA

Why it matters to seniors:
Your medical device data, health-record information, and clinic files may flow through multiple vendors. This update reduces weak points and helps prevent breaches.

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⚖️ Law Firm Faces Class Action After Data Breach

Major law firm Pillsbury is facing a class-action lawsuit after newly released documents confirmed that sensitive client data — including financial and legal records — was exposed earlier this year.

Source:
Reuters

Why it matters to seniors:
Law firms often handle estate planning, wills, real-estate records, pension disputes, and sensitive identity info. Any breach in this sector can have high personal impact on older adults.

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🏢 Texas Cyber Command Expands Defense Efforts

Texas is creating a new Cyber Command hub in San Antonio to harden the state’s infrastructure against rising cyberattacks. This includes utilities, transportation, hospitals, and public-sector networks.

Source:
Express News

Why it matters to seniors:
Hospitals, emergency services, water systems, and public health networks rely on these defenses. Strengthening state-level cyber capabilities reduces the odds that essential services you rely on experience disruptions.

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🛍️ Holiday Shopping Scams Spike: Fake Deals, Phishing Emails

Threat researchers report a surge in fake Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, often delivered by email or SMS. These messages link to malware-infected pages disguised as major retailers.

Source:
(Compiled threat-intel from past 24 hours)

Why it matters to seniors:
Holiday scam emails look extremely real. Clicking “One-day only!” or “Exclusive senior deal!” links can lead to account theft or malware.

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📱 Smishing Attacks Impersonating Tech Support

Carriers are flagging a spike in text messages claiming:
“Your Microsoft/Amazon/Geek Squad subscription renewed — call immediately.”
These messages are fake and attempt to get seniors to call a fraud hotline.

Source:
(Reported by U.S. carriers in past 24 hours)

Why it matters:
Calling the number connects you directly to a scammer who tries to gain remote access to your computer.

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🔒 What seniors should do now

• Avoid clicking holiday promos — visit retailers directly.

• Never call numbers listed inside text messages or suspicious emails.

• Keep devices patched this week — scams spike before the holidays.

• Review any law-firm or insurance documents for breach notices.

• Turn on banking and login alerts across devices and accounts.

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(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👋"