A Cyber Security Plan From the Experts How electric co-ops guard against Internet bad guys
Could a computer hacker shut down the nation’s electric grid? It’s a question asked in popular books, congressional hearings - DQG LW·V HYHQ WKH SORW SRLQW LQ WKH Free or Die Hard.”
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Most experts answer that question with, “probably not.” Part of the reason for that answer is there are a lot of people in government DQG WKH XWLOLW\ LQGXVWU\ OLNH %DUU\ /DZVRQ As Associate Director of Power Delivery and Reliability for
WKH 1DWLRQDO 5XUDO (OHFWULF &RRSHUDWLYH $VVRFLDWLRQ 15(&$ Lawson spends his time working with electric co-op utilities to try to protect utilities from digital hackers. Lawson and several others at NRECA run cyber security training sessions, publish security safety materials and develop techniques and software not only to keep the nation’s electric supply reliable and secure, but to protect sensitive member, employee and co-op data and information from identity theft.
Lawson says co-ops make a high priority out of protecting themselves from the constant variety of cyber computer attacks by everyone from organized crime to hobbyist hackers, who are constantly launching attacks on every computer in the world. “We’re all being hacked,” says Lawson. “As soon as you plug a
new computer into the Internet, it’s being hacked by software that looks for Internet connections by the millions.” Lawson says we can all use advice that’s the basis for how utilities protect themselves from cyber attacks: “try to make it as GLIÀ FXOW DV SRVVLEOH DQG SXW LQ DV PDQ\ OD\HUV RI SURWHFWLRQ DV possible.”
Here are Lawson’s top four tips for protecting your computer:
• 1. Make sure you have antivirus software installed on your computer, and remember to keep it updated.
• 2. Don’t send e-mails containing personal information, like your date of birth or Social Security Number, because that
increases opportunities for mal-actors to steal your identity. %H FDUHIXO RI W\SLQJ D FUHGLW FDUG QXPEHU LQWR D ZHEVLWH LI you do, make sure that it’s a secure website. You can tell whether it’s secure by looking for the “s” at the beginning of the website address. Most begin with “http://.” A secure site will begin with “https://.”
• 3. Attachments or links in an email can contain malware that can infect your computer. Don’t open an e-mail attachment or click a link unless you know the person sending it, DQG \RX ZHUH H[SHFWLQJ WKHP WR VHQG LW WR \RX KDFNHUV can take over an account and make it look like it’s from a IULHQG
• 4. Monitor children’s online activity, and make sure they know how to practice good cyber security. Visit the U.S. &RPSXWHU (PHUJHQF\ 5HDGLQHVV 7HDP·V 8& &(57 website for security tips on how to keep children safe online KWWSV ZZZ XV FHUW JRY QFDV WLSV 67
REVISED CONNECT FEES
Still Burning Old Light Bulbs?
...Make the switch
,I \RXU KRPH·V ODPSV DQG OLJKW À [WXUHV are still housing old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs, it’s time to switch to something WKDW·V IDU PRUH HQHUJ\ HIÀ FLHQW 7ZLVW\ FRPSDFW Á XRUHVFHQW OLJKW EXOEV &)/V DUH EHWWHU %XW /(' EXOEV DUH HYHQ
PRUH HQHUJ\ HIÀ FLHQW DQG ODVW ZD\ ORQJHU Yes, LEDs cost more than other kinds of light bulbs - VRPHWLPHV PRUH WKDQ WZLFH DV PXFK %XW WKH\ XVH DERXW 80 percent less energy than your out-of-date incandescents. CFLs use about 70 percent less energy than the old bulbs. Over time, though, LEDs shine the brightest of the three when it comes to energy use and cost savings. The average OLIH VSDQ RI DQ /(' EXOE LV
KRXUV FRPSDUHG ZLWK
1,200 hours for a traditional bulb and 8,000 for a CFL. And DW DERXW
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according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration - you’ll pay $38 to operate the LED bulb for 23 years. If the incandescent or CFL bulb lasted 23 years - it won’t - you would pay $201 or $48, respectively.
So make the switch today for a couple of decades - on average - of energy savings.
Connect Fee Account Transfer Fee After Hours Connect Fee
Fee for unpaid check returned by the bank remains at
$100.00 $ 50.00
(Fee is $100.00 if a trip is required to secure meter reading)
$200.00 $ 20.00
Fees were revised and became effective May 26, 2016.
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