Your parents or grandparents are online more than ever before. They video chat with family, manage prescriptions through patient portals, and pay bills through banking apps. This digital shift has made their lives more convenient, but it’s also made them targets.
Older Americans are prime targets for cybercriminals. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that people over 60 lost $3.4 billion to online scams in 2023, an 11% increase from the previous year. Seniors typically have better credit scores, more savings, and less familiarity with digital security practices. They’re also more trusting of official-looking emails and phone calls, which makes them vulnerable to sophisticated attacks.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts internet connections and masks locations, creating a protective barrier that stops many of these attacks before they start. Setting up a VPN for your loved ones takes less than ten minutes and provides constant protection without requiring them to understand complex technology. They click one button and they’re protected. Here’s what a VPN defends against every day.
1. Healthcare Fraud and Medical Identity Theft
The Department of Justice notes that seniors account for a disproportionate number of medical identity theft victims. It’s a growing problem. Criminals use stolen Medicare numbers and personal information to file fraudulent claims, and the shift to telehealth has created even more opportunities for data theft. Every time someone logs into a patient portal or schedules an online appointment, they’re transmitting sensitive information that hackers want to intercept.
ExpressVPN encrypts connections with 256-bit AES encryption when accessing medical websites and portals. This is military-grade protection. Nobody can intercept Medicare numbers, prescription information, or health records while they travel across the internet, and the service works automatically in the background once you turn it on.
2. Public WiFi Exposes Personal Data
Coffee shops, libraries, and senior centers offer convenient internet access, but there’s a catch. Without encryption, anyone on the same network can intercept passwords, banking details, and personal emails. Hackers use simple tools available online to capture this unprotected data. It takes them minutes.
ExpressVPN’s Network Lock feature acts as a kill switch that blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly. This prevents accidental exposure on public networks. The app reconnects automatically and restores protection without requiring any action, so your loved ones don’t need to monitor it constantly or remember to turn it back on.
3. Online Tracking Creates Detailed Personal Profiles
Data brokers and advertisers track browsing habits to build detailed profiles about health concerns, financial situations, and daily routines. The AARP Fraud Watch Network found that adults 70 and older lost an average of $1,580 per scam in 2023. Scammers purchase these profiles to identify vulnerable targets. They know which seniors search for diabetes medications, who’s recently widowed, and who’s researching investment opportunities. This information helps criminals build convincing attacks tailored to specific individuals.
ExpressVPN operates under a strict no-logs policy that’s been independently audited by third-party security firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG. The company doesn’t record which websites users visit, what they download, or when they connect. This verified privacy protection means financial activities and personal browsing stay completely confidential, and you have proof from outside experts that the company keeps its promises.
4. Internet Providers Sell Browsing Data
Internet service providers monitor which websites people visit. They can sell that browsing data to advertisers and data brokers, who use it to build profiles about health concerns, financial situations, and daily habits. ISPs in the United States face minimal restrictions on how they use customer data, which means there’s very little stopping them from monetizing everything your loved ones do online.
ExpressVPN routes traffic through encrypted servers so internet providers only see gibberish instead of actual websites. The ISP knows someone is using a VPN but cannot see any online activity. The service operates over 3,000 servers in 105 countries, which gives reliable connections without slowdowns no matter where they’re accessing the internet from.
5. Price Discrimination Based on Location
Shopping sites use IP addresses to adjust prices based on location and browsing history. Airlines and hotels are notorious for this practice, and studies show prices can vary by 20% or more for identical products depending on where websites think someone is located. Your parents might pay significantly more for the exact same flight or hotel room as someone in a different city.
ExpressVPN lets users connect through servers in different locations to access fair pricing. Switching between server locations takes one click and connects in seconds. The service offers unlimited bandwidth, so they can browse and shop without data caps or speed restrictions slowing them down when comparing prices or researching purchases.
6. Banking Security Matters More Than Ever
The Federal Trade Commission logged 5.7 million fraud reports in 2023. People over 60 represented nearly 30% of financial losses. Online banking, investment management, and digital payment services all transmit sensitive financial data that criminals actively target, and one intercepted login session can drain accounts before anyone realizes what happened.
ExpressVPN provides 24/7 customer support via live chat and email with real security experts, not automated bots. The support team can walk people through setup, answer questions about protection, and help troubleshoot any issues. Setup takes less than five minutes, and the interface uses simple language without technical jargon that requires a computer science degree to understand.
7. Video Calls Need Protection Too
Telemedicine appointments, family video chats, and online meetings contain sensitive conversations. People discuss health conditions, finances, and personal matters on these calls. Unencrypted video calls can be intercepted and recorded. In 2020, Zoom faced multiple lawsuits after the FTC found the company misled users about encryption practices, and similar privacy violations continue across various platforms.
ExpressVPN works seamlessly with Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, and other video calling services without affecting call quality. The TrustedServer technology runs entirely in RAM, which means all data gets wiped with every server reboot. This extra security layer ensures nothing from encrypted sessions ever gets stored on physical drives where it could potentially be recovered later.
Setup Takes Less Than 10 Minutes
ExpressVPN offers apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Download the app from the official website or app store, create an account, and click the large connect button. Done. The service costs $6.67 per month with an annual subscription and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.
The default settings provide maximum protection without any configuration required. ExpressVPN automatically selects the fastest server and maintains connections reliably, so users don’t need to understand networking or make technical decisions. One subscription covers up to eight devices simultaneously, protecting computers, tablets, and phones at the same time.
When to Turn On Your VPN
Use ExpressVPN every time accessing banking or financial accounts, shopping online with credit cards, or connecting to public WiFi. Turn it on before checking medical records, scheduling appointments, or sending sensitive information via email. Many users simply leave it running all the time. Constant protection means they never have to remember when they need it.
Cybercriminals specifically target seniors because they typically have better credit, more savings, and less familiarity with digital security practices. ExpressVPN costs less than a monthly prescription copay but protects assets worth thousands. You lock your front door before leaving home. ExpressVPN locks internet connections before going online.
