GO GREEN WITH PAPERLESS BILLING

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American uses the equivalent of about one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper each year. An easy way to save paper and help the environment is to stop getting your monthly bill from us in the mail and switch to paperless billing. Visit our website to sign up.

LETTER TO AN ELDER DAY

Saturday, February 26th is Letter to an Elder Day. So grab a pen and put a heartfelt message on paper to make someone’s day, whether it be an elderly grandparent, parent, neighbor, or friend. A personal letter in your handwriting will be a welcome surprise and can become a treasured keepsake.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT STALKERWARE APPS

Stalkerware is snooping software secretly installed on your phone. Depending on the type, it may record every keystroke — including web searches, text messages, and emails — and also record calls, track location, and more. Look for unfamiliar or suspicious apps as well as unusual behavior such as a rapidly draining battery. You can also scan your phone with apps …

AVOID BUYING FAKE COVID-19 TESTS

The FTC offers this advice if you’re shopping online for COVID-19 test kits: 1) Make sure the test kit you’re buying is authorized by the FDA. 2) Research the seller before you buy, especially if you’re on a site you don’t know. 3) Pay by credit card, so if you never receive the test kit or it’s not as advertised, …

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE SCANNING QR CODES?

While many QR codes are trustworthy, fraudulent ones are used for malware and phishing. To be safe, use a QR scanner that displays the URL before it opens the website — such as the built-in one that came with your phone — so you can stop the process if the URL looks suspicious. Most third-party QR scanners instantly display the …

WHY MOVIE DIALOGUE IS GETTING HARDER TO UNDERSTAND

When you stream movies, do you sometimes struggle to understand what’s being said? You’re not alone. In the past few years, movie dialogue has become more difficult to understand. This can be because the director intentionally wants to mimic the real world, the actors choose an “under your breath” delivery, or the compressed audio files required for streaming are of …

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

We love what we do because of customers like you! Thanks for trusting us to keep you connected to what matters most. We hope your Valentine’s Day is filled with many lovely moments.

BAD BOTS COMPRISE NEARLY 40% OF ALL INTERNET TRAFFIC

A bot – short for robot – is a software program that performs automated, repetitive, predefined tasks. Bots typically imitate or replace human user behavior.  While some bots, such as search engine crawlers, are good, bad bots are built to carry out malicious attacks at scale.   When left unchecked, these bad bots can steal data, affect site performance, and even lead to …

GOLDEN RULES TO THWART SCAMMERS

Follow these three golden rules from Google and the Cybercrime Support Network to avoid getting scammed: 1. Slow it down. Scammers often create a sense of urgency. 2. Spot check.   Do your research to double check the details.  3.  Stop, and don’t send payment.  No reputable person or agency will ever demand payment on the spot, especially via gift cards.

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT PAPERLESS BILLING

Are you afraid that paperless billing isn’t secure?  The reality is that paperless billing has many safeguards in place, making it more secure than having statements and payments in a mailbox when they could be stolen. Do you think you need paper bills to remind yourself to pay? It’s actually more convenient to receive text and/or email reminders of when your …