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Win a Free Trip to Washington, D.C. for the FRS Youth Tour Apply by 5:00PM on Monday, March 17, 2025 Jan 27, 2025 | posted by Conner Williams #education #community #company information #scholarships The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) Youth Tour brings together over 100 high school students from rural communities across the nation to Washington, D.C. for five days to learn about legislative and agency processes and the important role of broadband services in rural communities. This... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - December 2024: Factory Reset Jan 23, 2025 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology #tips Did you get some new devices for the holidays and want to donate or sell your old ones? Make sure to complete a  factory reset  before letting them go - that's when you remove all your personal information from the device and restore it back to its original factory settings. This is... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - November 2024: Cookies Dec 20, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology #tips When you visit nearly every website these days, a little text box appears on the screen somewhere asking if you want to accept or reject cookies for the site. But what exactly does this mean? A cookie is essentially a piece of code that can be used to remember information about a user’s visit to... Full Article
Holiday Shopping Safety Tips Nov 6, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #fraud #holidays #online shopping #education Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner, with many deals already active. We wanted to share some safety tips for holiday shopping this season. Consider using a credit card when making purchases if you can, especially with online shopping. Credit cards offer more security... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - October 2024: Jitter Oct 30, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology There are many factors that contribute to the quality of an internet connection, one of them being jitter. When you send and receive data over the internet, it’s transferred in small packets. The time it takes for data to leave your connected device (smartphone, laptop, tablet), travel to its... Full Article
Only Scammers Ask You to Pay for Services with a Gift Card Oct 21, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #scams #fraud Has anyone asked you to pay a bill or a fine with a gift card? If this seems unusual, it's because it's a scam. No real business or government agency will ever tell you that you need to pay with a gift card. Generally, these sorts of scams begin with a phone call, text message, email, or social... Full Article
Student Loan Forgiveness Scam Sep 25, 2024 | posted by Lily Chavez #education #scams #ftc-article #fraud As back-to-school season begins, those with federal loans may have received a legitimate email from Education Secretary Miguel Cardona about loan forgiveness. However, it's important to be cautious, as not all such emails are genuine.   Only three official email addresses are... Full Article
FTC Scam Awareness: Five Ways to Keep Scammers and Hackers Away By By Alvaro Puig, Consumer Education Specialist Sep 25, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #scams #ftc-article #fraud Courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Education Blog  We’re living in the data age. The things we do on our phones and computers, on our internet-enabled smart devices, and on websites leave a trail of our activities and our personal information. That personal information has... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - September 2024: Virtual Private Network (VPN) Sep 19, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology You've likely seen a TV ad or heard someone mention a VPN recently, but just what is it? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network , and it is essentially an online encryption tool that masks your identity and hides device IP addresses, providing greater privacy online. Many folks use VPNs when... Full Article
Security Tip: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication for Account Logins Sep 19, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #scams Keeping your personal information safe in today's connected world has never been more important. Generally, the most important security step you can take is to create strong passwords. But with the dozens or hundreds of online accounts that we all utilize, from banking to streaming services to... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - August 2024: Random Access Memory (RAM) Aug 20, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education If you've purchased a computer or laptop in recent years and compared the specifications between options, you've likely seen something called RAM , or Random Access Memory . RAM is the hardware that provides temporary data storage for quick and easy access by the device's processor, and it is... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - July 2024: 4K Jul 18, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education Do you have a 4K television or computer at home and wonder what exactly that term means? Screen resolution technology continues to advance for a variety of devices, including smartphones, laptops, mobile gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Vita, ad of course TVs. But unless... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - June 2024: USB Jun 21, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education So many cords, so many acronyms. Just what does USB mean? Universal Serial Bus is the official name for a series of physical connections that allow data exchange and delivery of power between many types of electronic devices. You've likely used various USB cords and connections many times if... Full Article
FTC Scam Awareness: Why It's Not Rude to Ignore "Hi, How Are You?" Text Messages from Strangers From the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Blog By Gema de las Heras, FTC Consumer Education Specialist Jun 6, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #security #education #ftc-article A text message from an unknown number that simply says: hi, how are you? seems harmless. Your first instinct might be to respond to see if it’s someone you know. Or maybe tell them they made a mistake. But it’s best to ignore these type of text messages. Scammers are using this tactic as a... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - May 2024: .exe May 16, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #security #education #technology Have you ever received an email with file type .exe attached to it and wondered what is was? Or maybe you've downloaded an app or program to your computer that ran a .exe file to initiate the download and setup? Like a .jpg, .png, .mp4, .mp3, or .doc, .exe is a naming extension that denotes a... Full Article
Scam Email Claims to be from 'BCT E-Mail Support' May 7, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #security #education We have received multiple calls and emails from members inquiring about a suspicious email message they received claiming to be from 'BCT E-Mail Support.' THIS IS A SCAM. Do not open the attachment or click on any links. It is also good practice to mark the message as Spam or Phishing Attempt in... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - April 2024: Bluetooth Apr 18, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology If you've ever connected a pair of wireless earbuds or headphones to your smartphone, laptop, or TV, then you've used Bluetooth technology before. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless connection method used for exchanging data between devices, generally limited to about 10 meters (~33 feet)... Full Article
Join Us for the First-Ever BCT Community Class: iPhone Basics on April 10 at 12PM via Zoom Mar 26, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #community class #education Watch the recording of the BCT iPhone Basics Community Class from April 10, 2024 below:  Could you or someone you know use a little help with your iPhone? In this first-ever BCT Community Class, our team will discuss some useful shortcuts to help you get the most out of your iPhone. We'll go... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - March 2024: The Cloud Mar 19, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #technology #education You hear about it all the time, but what exactly is 'the cloud?' A shorthand name for 'cloud computing services,' the cloud is essentially a collection of servers that host software and computing infrastructure. For example, when you upload a file or photo to the cloud, like Apple iCloud, Google... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - February 2024: Smartphone Mirroring Feb 20, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #technology #education Smartphone mirroring is when you wirelessly project the content displayed on your smartphone to another screen, like a television. On Apple devices like iPhones and iPads, this technology is called AirPlay, while Chromecast is the predominant tech used in Android phones. Many modern TVs include... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - January 2024: Augmented Reality Jan 17, 2024 | posted by Conner Williams #technology #education Have you ever used the "see it in your space" feature when shopping for furniture or other items online? Or maybe played the popular mobile game Pokémon Go? If so, then you've experienced augmented reality (AR) firsthand. AR is the result of using technology to superimpose computer-generated... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - December 2023: Vishing Dec 14, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #security #education #technology #scams Vishing , short for 'voice phishing' is the fradulent practice of making phone calls or leaving voice messages pretending to be from legitimate companies or organizations intended to get people to reveal personal information. Vishing is similar to phishing, which is when scammers attempt to get... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - November 2023: Refurbished Tech Nov 16, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology When shopping for tech items online or in-store, like TVs, gaming consoles, cell phones, and others, it's common to see some that are labeled as "refurbished." This means that the product has been restored to a like-new condition by the manufacturer or a specialized third party. When a product... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - October 2023: HTTP Oct 23, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology HTTP, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is essentially a process that describes the order in which information is presented, used for transferring data over a network. If you look at the URL for a website you're on in the search bar of your internet browser, you'll see that it begins... Full Article
Think twice before taking that social media quiz Oct 16, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #security #scams #tips #education Your childhood pet’s name, your mother’s maiden name, your first car. Why would a random social media quiz about which Harry Potter character you’d most relate to need to know these things? Well, there’s a chance it’s a scam.  These types of topics are all common account security questions... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - September 2023: Malvertising Sep 13, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #technology #security #education Short for malicious advertising, malvertising uses what looks like legitimate online advertising to distribute malware and other threats with little to no interaction required from users. Typically, scammers submit graphic or text ads infected with malware to legitimate advertising networks,... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - August 2023: Cache Aug 17, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology Have you ever run into an issue with an app or web page and the search results or support team says the cache might need to be cleared? Often times, this can fix many loading or formatting issues. But what exactly is a cache, and what does clearing it do? A cache is the location on a device... Full Article
Scammers impersonate well-known companies, recruit for fake jobs on LinkedIn and other job platforms From the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Blog By Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney, Federal Trade Commission Aug 16, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security #scams Scammers are lurking on LinkedIn and other job sites, posing as “recruiters” for well-known companies. But instead of looking to hire you, they’re really looking to take your money and personal information. It starts with a direct message on a job search site like Indeed or LinkedIn. The... Full Article
Watch out for automatic account renewal scams Jul 20, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security #scams Have you received an email or text message that looks like the image above? In this scam email that was sent to a BCT team member, the sender is posing as Norton, a company that offers anti-virus software. An invoice has been included in the email that details a subscription to "Norton 360... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - July 2023: DoS/DDoS Attack Jul 19, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security A  Denial of Service  or  Distributed Denial of Service  attack is an attempt to make a network-connected device or resource, like a computer or website, unavailable to its intended user(s). DoS/DDoS attacks usually target websites or services hosted on better-known web... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - June 2023: bit vs. Byte Jun 21, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology Two common terms in the tech world that often get confused in meaning are  bits  and  Bytes. A  bit (b)  is short for binary digit, and bits are most commonly used to measure the rate of data transfer, like when transferring files from a USB flash drive to a computer.... Full Article
Scammers Are Impersonating Best Buy’s Geek Squad: Here’s What You Need to Know By Office of the Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum Jun 19, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security #scams Don't fall for these phony Geek Squad invoices and customer service numbers. Consumers and small business owners are being targeted by a scam that involves fraudulent invoices and customer service numbers posing as Best Buy’s Geek Squad. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is urging... Full Article
Watch Out for Gift Card Scams May 18, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #security #scams Scammers continue to evolve their methods in the hopes of getting people to fall for their schemes, and sometimes they can be hard to spot. But one telltale sign of a scam is when someone asks you to pay for a service or help with a gift card. They might say to put money on a certain kind of... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - May 2023: HDMI May 17, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and it's a connection method that transfers video and audio signals from a device to a TV screen or computer monitor. HDMI is the current standard to get the highest-quality video and audio content from devices like streaming sticks or boxes,... Full Article
Be Careful When Using Public Device Charging Ports Apr 20, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #tips #technology #security The list of things to be careful plugging into your devices grows as officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation warn travelers and shoppers to avoid public free phone charging ports. They warn that scammers or bad actors could use these ports, which usually include USB or USB-C, to... Full Article
Keep Your Personal Information Safe When Spring Cleaning Apr 19, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #tips #technology #security Ashley found an old Roku in the back of the closet while she was spring cleaning. She had a neighbor that wanted one, so it seemed like a perfect fit. It seemed like the only thing to do was to plug it in and see if it still worked.  Ashley was navigating through the settings... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - April 2023: WiFi Apr 19, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology #wifi We sometimes hear that internet service and WiFi are the same thing, but there is a distinct difference. Internet service is the signal sent from our central office to your home over either fiber lines or copper cabling. WiFi, on the other hand, is the wireless distribution of some of that... Full Article
Call Before You Dig This Spring to Avoid Damaging Utility Lines Mar 16, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education Every digging job requires a call to 811 to have underground utility lines marked. In some cases, lines are buried close to the surface and could easily be damaged by even shallow digging, resulting in service interruptions to your neighborhood. When you call 811, simply tell the operator where... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - March 2023: Ethernet Mar 16, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #tips #education #education #technology Ethernet  is a type of cable that allows devices to be physically connected to your home internet network. While most people connect their devices to the internet via WiFi, an Ethernet connection can also be used for some devices. This can provide a better experience because a physical... Full Article
6 Digital Spring Cleaning Tips to Stay Organized and Secure Mar 1, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #tips Spring cleaning is a time when people take inventory of their homes and possessions and clean out any unnecessary clutter. It’s also a great time to do the same thing for your digital life by making sure your data is protected, passwords are updated, and app and program use is reevaluated. Check... Full Article
Watch Out for "Account Suspended" Scams Feb 15, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #tips #security #scams A new favorite tactic of scammers is to try and convince you that one of your accounts has been suspended and that you need to take action to regain access or lift the suspension. The image above is from an email recently received by a BCT staff member that says, in rather poor grammar, their... Full Article
Tech Term of the Month - February 2023: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Feb 15, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #tips #security Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) or Two-Factor Authentication is an online account security protocol that adds an extra step to the login process to ensure the right person is accessing an account. MFA usually involves a code being sent to a smartphone or email address after the username and... Full Article
Update Your Passwords to Keep Accounts Secure Feb 1, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #education #tips #security Today on National Change Your Password Day, we want to share a few tips for creating strong passwords, keeping them secure, and most importantly, remembering all of them. Try to use a pass phrase rather than a pass word. Pick a 4-5 word phrase, and then include capital letters and symbols... Full Article
A Note About Third-Party Bill Pay Vendors Jan 24, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #announcements #education #smarthub We want to make it as easy as possible for members to pay their BCT bill. Our team would like to make members aware of various third-party online bill pay services that claim you can pay your BCT bill through their website. While some of these websites are legitimate, they may charge extra fees... Full Article
'Tis the season to spot and avoid gift card scams By By Kira Krown, Federal Trade Commission Consumer Education Specialist Dec 12, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #tips #ftc-article #security #education Article courtesy of the  Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice blog Looking for a New Year’s resolution? Here’s one for you: Keep your hard-earned money safe from scammers by spotting and avoiding gift card scams. Then help others spot and avoid them, too. Scammers want you to pay with gift... Full Article
Organize Your Computer on National Clean Out Your Virtual Desktop Day Oct 18, 2021 | posted by Conner Williams #education #technology #tip Is your computer's desktop full of cluttered shortcuts that are difficult to navigate? Does the above image of a scattered desktop make you as uncomfortable as us? Today is a great day to organize your virtual life as it's National Clean Out Your Virtual Desktop Day!  To celebrate, consider... Full Article