Digital Banking. A Safer Journey.
DEFEND Impact is an evidence-led initiative helping organisations address the growing risks older adults face as financial services move online. Developed through academic research and community collaboration, the project translates real-world insights into practical digital tools that improve confidence, fraud awareness, and secure decision-making.
Our work combines an accessible verification platform, tailored learning resources, and community-tested design principles shaped by how older adults actually navigate digital banking. By partnering with local authorities, charities, financial institutions, and policymakers, we aim to provide a scalable model for safer, more inclusive digital finance across Wales and the wider UK.
Age-Friendly Security Tools
We will build a localised decision-support web application and a contextualised YouTube tutorial series specifically designed to match older adults' security mental models
Real-World Community Deployment
We will deliver a 10-week community-based engagement programme in local venues to test the tools, gather feedback, and support older adults in a familiar, low-pressure environment
Strengthen Confidence and Autonomy
By reinforcing positive security behaviors like the "verify-first" strategy, we aim to reduce digital exclusion and synthesize our findings into a scalable toolkit for wider national adoption