FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — August 20, 2026 AQ'S Corner LLC brought Operation: Golden Shield™ and its Senior CyberHero Missions™ to older adults at the Cumberland County Council on Older Adults’ Indian location in Fayetteville for a hands-on cybersecurity session centered on a simple framework:

Pause. Notice. Protect.

The opportunity began through Angela Selitto, CPD and Member Services Director at the Greater Fayetteville Chamber, who introduced AQ'S Corner to Melanie Lyde, M.S., CDP, In-Home Aide Program Manager and Community Resource Director/Curator with the Cumberland County Council on Older Adults. Lyde then helped coordinate the session and connect AQ'S Corner with participants at the Indian location.

Golden Shield was created around a different starting point for senior cybersecurity education:

Most safety programs start with fear. Golden Shield begins with respect.

Built on the principle of “protecting the generation that protected us,” the program honors older adults' independence and recognizes the decades of personal, professional, and lived knowledge they already possess. Rather than approaching participants as people who have been left behind by technology, Golden Shield builds on that foundation while introducing practical ways to navigate an evolving digital environment.

During the session, participants did more than listen to a presentation. They stepped into the roles of scammers, cybersecurity professionals, and everyday technology users, examining manipulation tactics, spotting warning signs, questioning suspicious situations, and deciding how they might respond.

Their own encounters also became part of the lesson. Attendees discussed suspicious calls, messages, websites, and other situations they had experienced, creating opportunities to compare perspectives and share knowledge with one another.

Among those attending was a 93-year-old participant who remained engaged throughout the session, listening alongside her group, a reminder that there is no expiration date on learning or taking part in conversations about technology.

The reach of that knowledge can extend across generations. According to 2026 research from AARP, 69% of grandparents provide some level of care for their grandchildren. That connection creates opportunities for digital safety lessons learned by older adults to move beyond the classroom and into families and communities.

“Golden Shield is about honoring the people who protected, taught, raised, led, and guided so many of us,” said Aqueelah Emanuel, Founder and CEO of AQ'S Corner. “They do not walk into these rooms without knowledge. We build on what they already know and give them practical ways to pause, question, verify, and protect what matters in the digital world they are navigating today.”

Using plain language, patient instruction, role-playing, and real-life scenarios, Golden Shield emphasizes critical thinking and informed decision-making rather than asking participants to memorize an ever-changing list of scams.

The Fayetteville session reflects AQ'S Corner's continued commitment to creating cybersecurity and emerging-technology education that respects the people in the room while giving them practical tools they can use beyond it.

About AQ'S Corner LLC

AQ'S Corner LLC is a Spring Lake-based mother-daughter cybersecurity and digital safety company providing education, curriculum development, research, and community programming for youth, families, older adults, educators, small businesses, and community organizations.

Learn more at AQSCORNER.COM.

Source: AARP, Grandparents Provide $731 Billion in Unpaid Care of Grandchildren, June 16, 2026.