Comcast to Warn Infected Users via Browser Notifications

Comcast, the largest residential cable and Internet service provider in the United States, has started tests of a new system that will alert customers of possible infections on their computers via in-browser notifications. The warnings will be sent to the owners of computers that display bot behavior or whose associated IP addresses are added to spam lists.

Philadelphia-based Comcast has over 15 million broadband subscribers, is close to finishing its Internet security-oriented program dubbed Constant Guard. The program "is the result of many years of working to assemble the right people, technologies and resources to help ensure our customers are protected from hackers and bots in real-time," Mitch Bowling, senior vice president and general manager of online services at Comcast, said.

One of the latest additions to the program is a notification service called Service Notices, for which trials began in Denver yesterday. The service will identify computers that display signs of possible infection with malware, such as connecting to botnet command and control servers, sending out spam emails or generating other types of malicious traffic.

The owners of these systems will then be notified that their machines have been compromised via in-browser pop-ups that contain a link to the Anti-Virus Center page on Comcast's security portal. This website offers a wealth of information on how users can protect themselves against online threats and also provides tools to identify infections.

The service will be free for High-Speed Internet subscribers, who can also download and use McAfee's Internet Security Suite at no cost. The Comcast Security Portal also allows customers to perform an online scan, using McAfee FreeScan, or download a special Comcast browser toolbar, which features spyware and phishing protection.

The security community is likely to respond well to the initiative, as they have argued for a long time that ISPs are doing too little to protect their customers from online threats. Comcast's program is one of the most proactive security initiatives ever to be undertaken by an Internet service provider.

"The new Comcast safeguards are in line with industry best practices to help ISPs assist customers whose machines have been infected with malware. By deploying the technology to detect bots on their subscribers' computers, Comcast is providing a service to their customers and contributing to safer messaging," Jerry Upton, executive director of the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG), noted.