October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which makes it a great time to give your online habits a quick checkup. You don’t need to be a tech expert to stay safe online. Most scams and break-ins at home work because of a few small gaps, and closing them takes less time than picking something to stream on a Friday night.

We recently hosted a Digital Literacy Workshop at our Clarksville Annex to help members get more comfortable with the technology they use every day, and we’re planning more across our service area. Providing a fast, reliable connection is where our job starts. We also want to help you get the most out of it, and that includes knowing how to stay safe and cyber-aware once you’re online.

We kicked things off in our member newsletter with our very first Byte-Sized Tech Tip, all about fake account alerts. Here’s a deeper look at that scam, plus a handful of easy habits that will keep your whole household a lot safer.

1. Don’t fall for fake account alerts

Scammers love to impersonate companies you already trust, including your internet and electric providers. They’ll send a text or email, or even call, claiming your account is past due and your service is about to be shut off. The whole point is to scare you into paying before you have a chance to think it through.

These scams are more common than you might think. According to the Federal Trade Commission, imposter scams were the most reported type of fraud in 2025, making up nearly one in three fraud reports, and people reported losing $3.5 billion to them.

Here’s an example of what one of these messages can look like:

Example scam text message from an unknown number posing as Cumberland Connect. It reads: "Cumberland Connect: Your account is past due. To avoid service interruption, please make a payment now. Your service will be shut off within 24 hours if we don't receive payment. Pay here: https://cumberland-connect.com/pay. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter."

A few things in a message like this should set off alarm bells:

It’s in a hurry. “Make a payment now” is meant to get you acting before you’ve had a chance to think.
It threatens to shut off your service within 24 hours if you don’t pay.
The link is a lookalike. Look closely and you’ll spot the hyphen in “cumberland-connect,” a tiny change that’s easy to miss when you’re in a rush. Scammers set up fake sites like this to grab your payment info.
It comes from a phone number you don’t recognize.

Remember, CEMC and Cumberland Connect will never call you demanding immediate payment to keep your service active. If something feels off, hang up the phone, don’t click any links and reach us directly at (800) 987-2362. We would much rather hear from you about a message that turns out to be fine than have you lose money to one that isn’t.

2. Use a different password for every account

When one website gets breached, scammers take those stolen logins and try them everywhere else. If your email, bank and streaming accounts all share the same password, one leak can open every one of them.

A password manager makes this simple. It creates strong passwords for you and remembers them, so the only one you need to know is the one that unlocks the manager. Many phones and web browsers already have one built in. Try using a passphrase made of a few random words strung together, like “purple-tractor-biscuit-lake.” It’s easier to remember than a jumble of symbols and much harder to crack.

3. Turn on two-step verification

Two-step verification (also called multi-factor authentication) adds a second check when you log in, usually in the form of a code sent to your phone or an app. Even if someone gets hold of your password, they can’t get in without that second step.

Start with your most important accounts, like email, banking and anything that stores your payment info. Your email deserves extra attention because that’s where password reset links go. Do not ever share a two-factor authentication code with anyone. If anyone contacts you and asks you to read one back to them, it’s almost certainly a scam.

4. Run that update you’ve been ignoring

Update reminders can feel like a nuisance, but many of them fix security holes that scammers already know how to use. Turn on automatic updates wherever you can, and don’t forget the devices that are easy to overlook, like smart TVs, streaming sticks and security cameras.

5. Lock down your home Wi-Fi

Your home network is the front door to every connected device in your house. Use a strong Wi-Fi password, and if your router offers a guest network, give visitors that instead of your main password. It keeps their devices separate from your computers, phones and smart home gear.

6. Back up what matters

Ransomware and plain old hardware failure can both wipe out family photos and files you can’t replace. Set up automatic backups to a cloud service or an external hard drive so a bad day doesn’t turn into a disaster.

7. Look out for each other

Scammers often go after people who are less comfortable with technology, including older relatives and kids getting their first phone. Share these tips with your family, and let them know it’s always alright to hang up and double-check. A quick conversation at the dinner table can save someone a lot of money and stress.

We’ve got your back

Staying safe online comes down to a few good habits and a healthy dose of skepticism. If you ever get a message that claims to be from CEMC or Cumberland Connect and you’re not sure it’s real, give us a call at (800) 987-2362.

Your Cybersecurity Month Cheat Sheet