Supporting the cyber safety of brain injury survivors
Brain injury survivors, and the professionals who support them in their lives, are being educated in the risks of using the internet and how to maximise safety when going online by the UK’s only cyber safeguarding specialist of its kind.
Cyber Spider was created to support vulnerable adults in their digital use, assessing the needs and capabilities of each individual and preparing a bespoke plan of recommendations for their unique circumstances.
Working closely with legal teams, Court of Protection and social workers, Cyber Spider can prepare Digital Care Plans, and is also set to launch an online Internet Capacity Assessment resource, which can give insight into a person’s understanding of the risks of being online.
And to help increase the support of vulnerable people by professionals, Cyber Spider – which works nationally from its headquarters in Rotherham – also delivers training and education directly to those working in brain injury care, and works with case managers and social workers throughout the UK.
With demand for its services growing strongly, in the wake of a surge in online use during the pandemic, Cyber Spider is adding new people to its team around the country, continuing the growth it has seen since being established in 2017.
“For people whose brain injury came through illness or injury, they will have had a life before that, and with that will be a digital footprint. But now, how capable are they of managing the threats and risks that go with being online and being on social media?,” says Jeff Goodright, co-founder of Cyber Spider, whose background is in family liaison work and cyber crime with South Yorkshire Police. 
“A lot of people are isolated and stuck at home following a life-changing injury, so the internet could be their only way of interacting with friends, family, having a love life. But there are risks attached to that.
“While the risks of something serious happening may be low, there is still a risk. And what would the impact be on an already vulnerable person? That’s why it’s so important we do all we can to prevent that happening.”
Cyber Spider carries out individual assessments of each person and their unique needs and circumstances, and makes recommendations around the threats and risks.
“We’re passionate about trying to put people in a better place. It’s difficult for us all to navigate the cyber world – but imagine trying to do that with a brain injury. There are so many things to consider,” says Jeff, whose co-founder Garry Kelsall has expertise in assertive technology and websites.
“For example, on social media, are they giving too much away? Does their profile picture identify where they live? Sometimes, people who have been injured will have received compensation and may be quite wealthy – are they giving an indication of that on social media, which could put them at risk?
“There is also the problem of people falling foul of the law. We know of several men who have been arrested for contacting children online, due to them not recognising that was wrong, and have had their devices taken away from them.
“There is even the basics of using the same email and password for everything. Many people think that by giving an email rather than phone number you can’t be traced, but you can be found by your email address with a bit of digging.
“With smart and assistive technology around the home, there are a lot of benefits to having it, but it can also be a weakness. If you think of a router as your digital front door, a hacker can get in through that door if you leave it unlocked and access your Alexa devices and security cameras.
“By becoming more aware of the risks and what we can do to protect vulnerable adults, we can stop this from happening.”
And as well as supporting and assessing individuals, Cyber Spider’s training for professionals is proving equally valuable.
“It’s really important the professionals working with vulnerable adults are aware of the risks so they can do something about it. We do a lot of training, and the word of mouth recommendations we receive are increasing, it’s such a vital aspect of a client’s safety,” says Jeff.
“Ideally, we’ll speak to a case manager or social work before they buy a device for their client, we can establish what they need it for and what will work best for them and make recommendations around that.
“We also try and tie in with the MDT on assessments, the findings can be very valuable.
“If a client has an addictive nature, where they’re spending hours on apps, spending all of their allowance on in-app purchases, then the neuropsychologist needs to know about it. Likewise, if a client is on dating sites, a neuropsychologist needs to know and be aware of any emotional issues around that.
“But as well as the support of a client, we can also help with practical matters. For example, support staff may not know how to use the Smart TV or understand the implications of not changing the Wifi password.
“At some point, Facebook will probably recognise the support staff and clients are using the same network and could suggest them as a friend, and this could cause issues around professionalism and boundaries.
“Changing a Wifi password takes ten minutes. Putting a VPN app on a phone is really straightforward. If professionals better understand how to put cyber safeguarding measures in place, then they can offer better levels of safety to their clients.”
