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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 Tip: How to Organize Your Digital Life Jan 22, 2025 | posted by Conner Williams #technology #tips Are you always looking for files or photos on your computer or smartphone? Do you want to make sure you have backups in case something happens? Check out these tips to help organize your digital life: For files and folders on your computer or in the cloud, try to use a uniform naming convention... Full Article
Beware of the "View & Sign Completed Document" Email Scam Jan 20, 2025 | posted by Lily Chavez #voice #phone #scams #fraud #tips #emails A growing email scam tricks recipients into clicking on malicious links by claiming you need to "view and sign" a document. Recently, a BCT member received an urgent email from DocuSign that appeared to come from BCT, making the scam even more convincing. These emails often look legitimate,... Full Article
How to Avoid Gift Card Scams This Holiday Season Dec 20, 2024 | posted by Lily Chavez #scams #fraud #tips #holidays #ftc-article Did you buy any gift cards for the holidays? Next time you buy one, take caution ! Scammers are stealing numbers and PINs from gift cards before you even purchase them. They don’t need the physical card to access the funds you load onto it.   Scammers might remove the protective... 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
Fake Password Resets Scam Dec 4, 2024 | posted by Lily Chavez #scams #fraud #security #emails #support #tips One common tactic used by scammers is sending fake password reset messages. While this type of attack isn't new, it remains widespread because it is so effective.   In these attacks, scammers may call you or send phishing emails or texts claiming that you need to reset your password or... Full Article
Stay Up To Date On The Latest Scams! Jan 2, 2024 | posted by Jason Nugent #scams #security #tips Grandparents Scam You receive a call or text message from someone impersonating a grandchild or loved one asking for money to help with an emergency and providing instructions on where to send the money. These... Full Article
Scammers Hide Harmful Links in QR Codes to Steal Your Information From the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Blog By Alvaro Puig Consumer Education Specialist Dec 6, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #tips #security #scams QR codes seem to be everywhere. You may have scanned one to see the menu at a restaurant or pay for public parking. And you may have used one on your phone to get into a concert or sporting event, or to board a flight. There are countless other ways to use them, which explains their popularity.... Full Article
Smart TV Terminology Can Be Confusing. We’re Here to Help Shopping for a new TV but confused about the tech jargon? Nov 13, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #tips #technology Looking for a new Smart TV this Black Friday or Cyber Monday for your streaming or gaming needs? Let us help by defining some common terms seen in Smart TV product descriptions and sales.  LED vs. QLED vs. mini-LED vs. OLED:  LED stands for Light Emitting Diode and is the most common... 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
Watch out for package delivery confirmation scams this holiday season Sep 27, 2023 | posted by Conner Williams #security #scams #tips As the holidays approach and more folks order items for delivery, scams like the one in the image above tend to increase. The sender pretends to be a company reaching out to confirm or schedule the delivery of a package.  These kinds of messages almost always have a button or link that they... 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 - 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
'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
Don’t click on that random text. It’s a scam By Gema de las Heras, Federal Trade Commission Aug 16, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #scams #news #tips #ftc-article #security Sorry to burst your bubble. That unexpected text from the Postal Service (USPS), Costco, or The Home Depot telling you about an unclaimed package or a survey you can complete to claim a freebie is NOT from them. It’s a scam. The FTC has seen a spike in reports from people getting text messages... Full Article
June is Audiobook Appreciation Month Rent audiobooks and eBooks for free with the Libby app Jun 2, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #news #technology #tips #community #wifi Did you know you can use your local library card to rent audiobooks and eBooks for free on your smartphone or eReader? Download the Libby app on your phone or tablet, then log in using a card from a local library system like Libraries in Clackamas County (LINCC). Once rented, you can listen to... Full Article
Create and Store Strong Passwords with a Password Manager May 5, 2022 | posted by Conner Williams #technology #tips #security Let’s talk passwords – it’s World Password Day! We all know having strong passwords is important, but are you reusing the same one across multiple websites? This opens the door for vulnerabilities in the event of a data breach.  Image caption:  The LastPass password generator tool... Full Article