The pandemic of COVID-19 brought about some major changes in our personal and work lives in a relatively short period. This change has mostly been progressive and beneficial for businesses and individuals, but it has also made us vulnerable to new threats most of us are unaware of.
Comcast is hard at work doubling down its cybersecurity efforts for Xfinity Internet customers. xFi Advance Security, which is available to Xfinity customers with a compatible xFi Gateway at no extra cost, is getting better at protecting all devices in the network against today’s threats.
Cyber Threats in 2023
Our everyday devices are more connected today than ever before, and so are our work and personal lives. Any weak link in our web of interconnected belongings is an opportunity for bad actors to infiltrate our networks, steal our data, and do us harm.
Here are some of the most common cyber threats in 2023.
Attacks on Smartphones
Many of us now store sensitive data—including work data—in our smartphones in addition to our computers. Cybercriminals are now increasingly targeting mobile devices.
ML-Powered Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks are fake messages designed to get you to visit a link that will threaten the security of your device or data. Cybercriminals are now using more sophisticated techniques—including machine learning and artificial intelligence—to make messages more effective at getting you to open the links.
Cryptojacking
Mining cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin takes a lot of computer power. It’s not profitable to mine cryptocurrencies with personal computers as you’ll spend more on the energy your laptop will use than what you’ll make—not to mention it’ll take about 2 million years to mine one bitcoin today even on a gaming laptop.
Cryptojacking is when cybercriminals hack a large number of computers and make them do the work. This can result in a performance drop and increased energy usage.
Increasing Ransomware Attacks
Cryptocurrencies have made it easier for cybercriminals to receive ransom anonymously. This has led to an increase in ransomware attacks as they get more profitable.
Attacks from Other Governments
Governmental agencies are trying to infiltrate other governments by any means necessary. They create computer programs that may travel through citizens’ devices to get to government-run computers, access sensitive data, and compromise systems. One such program called Stuxnet is believed to be responsible for damaging a critical part of Iran’s nuclear program.
Xfinity’s Approach to Cybersecurity
Hybrid work and interconnected devices bring new challenges for cybersecurity—new threats that we may never have dealt with before. It’s more important than ever before to have multiple layers of security.
Xfinity has a cybersecurity program that’s based on three pillars that protect customers from a spectrum of threats. These three pillars are:
1. Products with Security Built-In
Xfinity takes a security-first approach to developing all its products. Security is not an afterthought—it’s a priority at every step of the development process. 10G internet, xFi Gateway, and other products use the latest specifications and technologies to safeguard against the latest threats.
2. Secure Handling of Data
Most cybercrimes are designed to access the target’s sensitive data. Xfinity is constantly implementing new technologies to keep customer data out of reach of bad actors. It recently added a new threat analytics platform that analyzes data to find and eliminate threats faster than previous technologies.
3. Securing Customers and All Devices
Xfinity strives to protect customers from cyber threats across the board. One of the ways it protects residential customers is with xFi Advanced Security which comes with xFi Gateway and xFi Complete services at no extra cost. Advanced Security analyzes all the data going through the router. This means safer internet for all the devices connected to the router.
xFi Advanced Security
xFi Advanced Security is a free service that’s included with xFi Gateway and xFi Complete. Once enabled, it provides protection against a range of threats to your devices and network. It also alerts you when a threat is detected along with tips to resolve it.
Three primary ways xFi Advanced Security provides protection are:
Safe Surfing
xFi Advanced Security prevents all devices connected to the home Wi-Fi from visiting websites that may contain malware or other threats. When you try to accept a potentially risky website, you get a page saying that the content has been blocked because it’s suspicious.
Secure Smart Devices
xFi blocks suspicious and unknown sources from accessing your smart devices remotely. These include smart home devices that otherwise don’t have the most advanced security systems.
Real-Time Network Monitoring
xFi monitors the network in real-time to see if any devices are behaving usually. Unusual behavior—especially from smart home devices—may indicate a security breach. It notifies you immediately once such behavior is detected along with tips on how to proceed.
If you’re not an Xfinity customer, Xfinity customer service can help you get xFi Gateway and set up Advanced Security.
Conclusion
Xfinity has been implementing advanced technologies to protect customers from new cybersecurity threats in 2023. For more information on Xfinity Internet, call Xfinity customer service at 844-207-8721.
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