Comcast Furthers Internet Security Efforts with National Rollout of Constant Guard Bot Detection And Notification
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communication products and services, announced today it is expanding its efforts to help protect customers and fight the proliferation of malicious bots with the national launch of its Constant Guard™ Bot Detection and Notification initiative. This service automatically notifies customers if their home computer appears to be infected with a bot, which the National Cyber Security Alliance has called "one of the Internet's fastest growing cyber crimes."
A bot is a type of virus that allows an attacker to force a computer to perform designated actions, usually without the owner's or user's knowledge. Once a bot is in control of a computer, it can be used to send spam, host phishing sites or infect other computers. Comcast's Constant Guard Bot Detection and Notification service combines best-in-class bot detection technologies with a customer notification system - either through a browser or customer e-mail - that provides a customer with direct assistance to remove a bot and prevent it from infecting other PCs. This initiative, as well as the other components of the Constant Guard Security Program, is provided to Xfinity Internet customers for no additional charge, and will be gradually rolled-out nationwide.
"Internet users need to be aware of online threats - bots being among the most serious - and Comcast's Constant Guard Bot Detection and Notification service is designed to help protect and educate our customers about this growing danger," said Cathy Avgiris, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Communications and Data Services at Comcast. "With October being National Cyber Security Awareness month, it's an ideal time to generate awareness about Internet security and start rolling this program out nationally."
National Association of Attorneys General President and North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said, "I encourage proactive efforts by Internet Service Providers to help educate and protect consumers from Internet crimes like malicious bots. It is important for business and government to work together to keep Internet users safe."
According to Javelin Strategy and Research, there were more than 11.2 million victims of identity theft fraud in the U.S. last year at an estimated total cost of $54 billion. Many of those thefts were made possible through the use of bots (or viruses).
"Cyber criminals cost our state tens of millions of dollars every year both in financial theft from our citizens as well as the cost of funding law enforcement resources to fight them," added Rob McKenna, Attorney General for Washington State and President-elect of NAAG. "Bots are a real and emerging threat to American consumers and this is a welcome initiative for customers in our state and across the country."
Constant Guard is the culmination of a multi-year effort to assemble a dedicated team of security professionals, implement best-in-class security software and create a Security Web portal (www.comcast.net/security) of consumer resources to educate and protect customers. For more information about the Constant Guard Security Program, please visit http://security.comcast.net/constantguard.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 23.2 million video customers, 16.4 million high-speed Internet customers, and 8.1 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, 11 regional sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, which owns two professional sports teams, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, and a large, multipurpose arena in Philadelphia, the Wells Fargo Center, and, through Global Spectrum, manages other facilities for sporting events, concerts and other events.