Your phone rings. The number is unfamiliar, maybe with an area code you don’t know. Your instinct might be to answer just in case it’s important. A cybersecurity expert has one word of advice: don’t. Dr. Christopher Whyte says a “zero trust” mindset, treating every unknown call and message as untrustworthy from the start, is one of the simplest protections available to everyday people. Instead of waiting for a red flag, you assume it’s there.
The reason is bigger than annoying robocalls. The Medusa ransomware group has targeted more than 300 major organizations, and the Department of Homeland Security warns attacks like these are just the beginning. Experts say ransomware could eventually be used to cause physical harm, particularly in hospitals and health-care settings. Aging-well coaches and physicians report they’ve stopped answering unknown numbers entirely, and they ignore unexpected delivery texts, which are a common scam hook.
For Suncoast families, the practical steps are easy. Let unknown callers go to voicemail. Never click links in texts you didn’t expect. Talk with the older adults in your life about it, kindly and often, because the scammers count on politeness. Have you made the switch to zero trust on your phone yet?
