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For detailed storm preparation tips, service restoration steps, and emergency resources, visit our dedicated Storm & Disaster Support page.

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Consolidated Communications urges individuals to take proactive steps to stay safe online. Get helpful information and tips.

New Online Safety Resources

Consolidated Communications has launched new educational resources to help you stay safe online. By staying educated on online safety best practices, you can be prepared against cyber attacks and take steps to help make sure your personal information is secure.

Check out our resources below, ranging from basics for internet newbies to seasoned users!

• 10 easy tips to help you stay protected
• Tips for your kids' online safety
• Online safety tips for seniors
• Cyber security basics for small businesses

Data Privacy Tips for Small Businesses and Organizations

Everyone has a role to play when it comes to the protection of personal information, in particular organizations that collect data from their customers. This is especially true for small businesses, which often collect email addresses for newsletters and phone numbers for personalized follow-ups as they continue to seek growth.

Get helpful information on protecting your personal information and avoid becoming a victim of phishing scams.

While online banking and e-commerce is generally safe, as a rule you should be careful about providing any personal information over the Internet. Consolidated Communications Internet Support has compiled a list of recommendations below that you can use to avoid becoming a victim of these scams.

• Be suspicious of any email with urgent requests for personal information.
  • Phishers typically include upsetting or exciting (but false) statements in their emails to get people to react immediately.
  • They typically ask for information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, date of birth, etc.
  • Phisher emails are typically not personalized, but they can be.
• Don't use the links in an email, instant message, or chat to get to any web page if you suspect the message might not be authentic or you don't know the sender. Instead of clicking a suspicious link within an email, call the company on the telephone, or log onto the website directly by typing in the web address in your browser.
• Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information. Instead communicate this type of information via the telephone or a secure website.
  • Phishers are now able to 'spoof,' or forge both the "https://" that you normally see when you're on a secure Web server and a legitimate-looking address.
  • Phishers may also forge the yellow lock you would normally see near the bottom of your screen on a secure site.
• Remember not all scam sites will try to show the "https://" and/or the security lock. Get in the habit of looking at the address line, too.
• Consider installing a web browser tool bar to help protect you from known fraudulent websites.
• Regularly log into your online accounts — don't leave it for as long as a month before you check each account.
• Regularly check your bank, credit and debit card statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate — if anything is suspicious or you don't recognize the transaction, contact your bank and all card issuers.
• Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches applied.

Source: http://www.antiphishing.org

Please remember to always report "phishing" or "spoofed" emails to our technical support group or call 1.844.968.7224.

Website links to help keep you informed:

• United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team
• APWG — the global industry, law enforcement, and government coalition focused on unifying the global response to cyber crime
• FCC Guides — includes fact sheets, tutorials, and alerts for consumer and business needs

Consolidated Communications considers illegal robocalling to be harassment — a violation of our customers' privacy.

We are actively participating in industry-wide examinations of this issue and developing solutions to thwart the many sophisticated ways criminals manipulate calling services to harass the public.

Here's what we're doing to identify and reduce unwanted robocalls to our customers:

• Customers subscribing to Caller ID may have noticed warnings of potential SPAM or fraudulent calls. This is part of our ongoing work to stop illegal robocalls. If you have concerns about calls being mislabeled, please contact customer care at 1.844.968.7224.
  We are a proud member of the coalition of 51 attorneys general and other voice service providers that support the eight Anti-Robocall Principles for Voice Service Providers.
• We continue to be an active participant in USTelecom and industry peer efforts to collaborate on implementing robocall mitigation tools.
  We support the implementation of the "STIR/SHAKEN" call authentication technology in order to help confirm for our customers whether an incoming calling number is spoofed.
• We are a member of the US Telecom Industry Traceback Group, an industry-led organization that identifies the origin of suspicious robocall traffic, stops many illegal robocalls and helps enforcement agencies catch perpetrators.

Here's what you can do if you're receiving unwanted robocalls:

• Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail.
• If the caller claims to be from a legitimate company or organization, hang up and call them back using a valid number found on their website or on your latest bill if you do business with them.
• If you answer and the caller (often a recording) asks you to press a button to stop receiving calls, or asks you to say "yes" in response to a question, just hang up. Scammers often use these tricks to identify, and then target, live respondents, or to use your "yes" reply to apply unauthorized charges on your bill.
• Be Aware: Caller ID showing a "local" number no longer means the caller or origin of the call is local.
• If you answer and the caller asks for payment using a gift card, it's likely a scam. Legitimate organizations will not ask for payment or donations with a gift card.
• If you receive a scam call, file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission Consumer Complaint Center by selecting the "phone" option.
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Complaints from consumers help detect patterns of fraud and abuse.
• If you have lost money because of a scam call, contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance.
• Consider registering your telephone numbers in the National Do Not Call Registry. Legitimate telemarketers use this list to avoid calling consumers who prefer not to be contacted.

The practice of altering Caller ID information, whether for fraudulent purposes or otherwise, has come to be referred to as "spoofing."

Caller ID spoofing refers to the alteration of caller ID information (number and/or name) by the originator of a telephone call. Caller ID spoofing is not, in itself, illegal and it may have legitimate uses:

• Some businesses with a large number of employees may alter the Caller ID information in order to provide a single number for those customers returning calls placed by its employees.
• Telemarketers are required to transmit caller ID information, but they are allowed to substitute the name of the seller on behalf of which the telemarketing call is placed and the seller's customer service telephone number.

Unfortunately, to the detriment of some telephone subscribers, the ability to manipulate Caller ID information enables a practice known as "vishing." Vishing is the practice of leveraging IP-based voice message technologies to socially engineer the intended victim into providing personal, financial or other confidential information for the purpose of financial reward.

Caller ID spoofing is used in support of vishing:

• By changing Caller ID data, this can help the vishers reinforce their social engineering story as well as make it more difficult to track the source of an attack.

Vishing is expected to have a high success rate because:

• Telephone systems have a much longer record of trust than newer, Internet-based messaging.
• A greater percentage of the population can be reached via a phone call than through email.
• There is widespread adoption and general acceptance of automated phone validation systems.
• The telephone makes certain population groups, such as the elderly, more reachable.
• Timing of message delivery can be leveraged to increase odds of success.
• The telephone allows greater personalization of the social engineering message.
• Increased use of call centers means that the population is more accepting of callers from foreign countries asking for confidential information.

The most profitable uses of the information gained through a vishing attack include:

• Controlling the victim's financial accounts
• Purchasing luxury goods and services
• Identity theft
• Making applications for loans and credit cards
• Transferring funds, stocks and securities
• Hiding criminal activities, such as money laundering
• Obtaining personal travel documents
• Receiving government benefits

Caller ID spoofing is relatively easy to accomplish. For individuals with little to no computer knowledge, spoofing services are readily available over the Internet.

More information is available on the FCC website.

Call 811 at least a few days before you start any digging project. Whether you are planning to do it yourself or hire a professional, smart digging means calling 811 before each job.

Call 811 at least a few days before you start any digging project. Whether you are planning to do it yourself or hire a professional, smart digging means calling 811 before each job.

When you call 811, your call is routed to your local one-call center. Local utilities are then notified about your planned digging activity. Professional locators are sent to your property to mark the approximate location of underground lines with flags, spray paint, or both.

Once lines have been marked, you'll know the approximate location of your utility lines and can dig safely. Remember to respect the marks and dig carefully around them.

Consolidated Communications has not found evidence of the Log4Shell vulnerability impacting its networks or systems.

On Friday, December 10, the vulnerability commonly known as Log4Shell became public knowledge. Consolidated Communications has not found evidence of the Log4Shell vulnerability impacting its networks or systems at this time.

Consolidated, along with its vendors and partners, are actively working to understand, mitigate and remediate the potential impact of this vulnerability, including:

• Collaborating with the Federal Government and industry partners to monitor and address any risks, and to provide mutual assistance;
• Scanning Consolidated networks and systems for the vulnerability; and
• Actively engaging with systems and application partners to determine potential vulnerabilities in their products and services.

Consolidated Communications continually monitors and actively scans our network environment for any risks and vulnerabilities.

What you can do:

Consolidated Communications recommends that its customers, partners and vendors follow the guidance of CISA for this vulnerability, available and continually updated at https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/apache-log4j-vulnerability-guidance.

3-Digit Dialing Codes for Special Services

211     Community Information and Referral Services

311     Non-Emergency Police and Other Governmental Services

411     Local Directory Assistance

511     Traffic and Transportation Information

611     Repair Service

711     Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS)

811     Access to One Call Services to Protect Pipeline and Utilities from Excavation Damage

911     Emergency

988     988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline