National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Every day, we share our personal information with organizations we trust. Whether it’s paying a bill, signing up for a service, shopping online, or managing an account, we routinely provide details such as our address, phone number, payment information, and other personal identifiable information that deserves to be protected.

Many of us don’t think twice about sharing this information, but we should pay close attention to how it is collected, stored, and protected. Once personal information is shared, we rely on organizations to handle it responsibly and safeguard it from unauthorized access.

This is especially important when working with providers of essential services, such as electric utilities, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations. But protecting personal information shouldn’t stop there. The same level of awareness should extend to emails, text messages, websites, mobile apps, and social media platforms. In today’s digital world, personal information is exchanged constantly, and cybercriminals are always looking for opportunities to exploit it. Information such as account numbers, passwords, payment details, and other sensitive data can be valuable to cybercriminals seeking to gain access to accounts or commit fraud.

At People’s Energy Cooperative, protecting member information is an important part of serving our members. In addition to safeguarding the systems and technology that support safe and reliable electric service, we work to protect the systems and information that help us serve you, including online accounts, payment systems, member portals, and outage reporting tools. 

Through ongoing investments in technology, monitoring, employee training, and cybersecurity practices, we strive to protect information entrusted to us. By staying informed and vigilant, we can all play a role in creating a safer digital environment. Trust is one of the foundations of the cooperative relationship. Members depend on us to provide safe, reliable electricity, and they expect us to handle their information with the same level of care. That’s a responsibility we take seriously. By staying informed, using caution, and remaining alert to potential cyber threats, we can all play a role in building a safer and more secure digital future.