Pirates of the Valley by Eric Eriksen

Ahoy mates! The infamous Black Pearl sails on the high seas filled with stolen treasures and pirates. These theatrical movie pirates of the Caribbean may be seen wearing tall black boots, three cornered hat, long buccaneer coat, compass and of course a pirate’s sword— a rare sighting in the San Luis Valley. So why would I be informing you about pirates today?
Because Pirates of the Valley are here too. According to the modern Oxford Dictionary, a pirate not only robs at sea but on land or through the Internet— illegally profiting without permission. Yes, pirates are attempting to steal electricity through powerlines and digital content like movies, books, games and music online. Don’t be afraid. REC/Ciello is working hard every day to stay ahead of these potential pirates with the aid of advanced technologies.  
Today, almost every REC electric member’s service is metered through advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). This technology provides faster more accurate data with the means of implementing member solutions such as: outage reporting, cost savings and tamper notification. A tamper notification is sent to our system operator instantly when a pirate attempts to profit from stealing electricity. And immediately the system operator dispatches personnel. Having this capability helps support lower rates for members and protects the safety of potential pirates.  
Torrenting is the term used for distributing and downloading Internet files using the BitTorrent protocol. This protocol enables very large files to be shared across the Internet. It’s what big companies like Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Apple and Amazon use to reach millions of users. It is also used by pirates to illegally acquire copyrighted content like movies to be resold. Copyright infringement fines can be as much as $150,000 if the pirate is caught. Now imagine a small local business providing customers with WiFi access. Many businesses today provide this convenience. Unfortunately, the unsuspecting business owner might not be aware that a pirate is disguised as one of their patrons. Could this be your home or business?
Pirates beware! Ciello has launched the “MyCiello” app to protect you from these pirates. It will assist you with blocking torrenting on your Ciello service. This means any device connecting to your Ciello WiFi will not be able to run the software used to pirate digital content. You will be safer from these types of pirating activities. Go to www.ciello.com/my-ciello-app to download the app or call 719-852-3538 for more information or assistance.
Expect passion, integrity and excellence from me as I lead with the great people of SLVREC to best serve you— improving your future. Today SLVREC is among the best cooperatives in Colorado, and we will constantly work at being better tomorrow.
Feel free to stop in to say “hi,” write EEriksen@slvrec.com or call anytime to 719-852-6630.  I look forward to your feedback, concerns and bright ideas.