Comcast plans to alert customers of malware-infected PCs
Friday, October 9, 2009
Comcast announced yesterday the trial of a plan that would make it the first internet service provider to scan customers' PCs for viruses and malware.
Called Constant Guard, the program is being tested on Comcast customers in Denver. The antivirus detector is an in-browser system that warns users when their computers appear to be infected with a bot and directs them to the Anti-Virus Center for a set of instructions to remove the virus.
"As the nation's largest residential internet service provider, our goal is to provide a safe and secure internet experience for our customers," said Mitch Bowling, general manager of online services at Comcast.
The antivirus feature and the other components of the Constant Guard Security program are provided for no additional charge to Comcast high speed internet customers.
Comcast is a member with other ISPs of MAAWG (Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group), which issued a report recommending that ISPs scan users' PCs remotely and notify customers of detected malware through email, phone calls and other means.
In-browser messages would be among the most effective methods to alert customers, but also can be technically challenging to implement, MAAWG said.
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