INTERNET SECURITY

This is serious stuff. Keeping you safe on the Internet is a priority at Access. Internet security is a very large and complex topic, crossing many fields of discipline. We must remain vigilent and constantly evolve to meet new threats.

Section 7 of our terms of service agreement covers security issues.

The following links cover the gamut of the security arena and will give you a better idea as to what we do, and what you can do, to stay safe and secure on the Internet.

Firewalls
This page explains what a firewall is and how it works as well as how you can get behind one.

False Alarms
This page will help you decide if a firewall alert is a legitimate threat or simply a false alarm.

Mail Servers/Spam
We don't like spam and this is how we deal with it.

Report an Incident
This is a form you can fill out to help us better maintain a safe Internet environment. Please report any network abuse by users of the Access Communications services. Access Communications is dedicated to ensuring that its service is used in a manner that is consistent with the policies set forth in its Service Agreement, which absolutely forbids network abuse like spam. Access Communications takes all reported abuse complaints seriously, and will handle them in accordance with our policies in a timely and efficient manner.

Closing Ports
At Access Communications we closely monitor Internet security issues to improve the safety and performance of our Internet service. All of our wireless modems ship with a custom configuration file for our system that allows the "proper" activities (Internet, E-mail, File sharing, PC Gaming) to work while blocking the less desirable activities. We do this by blocking ports on our modems. This is built-in to the configuration files on the modems and cannot be changed or modified by end users or by support staff in the call center. Unfortunately, from time to time new services and new consumer devices come along that require Internet access and may use some of the ports or features of our modems that are not available on our network. The most common of these involves gaming systems like the Xbox 360 or the Playstation 3. While we try very hard to accommodate these situations, it sometimes takes time to modify our configuration files and sometimes the customer request simply cannot be accommodated. In those rare situations the best option is to move to a wired modem from us and then run your own third-party router that can support the features you require.

If you have any questions, please contact our Internet Help Desk at 565-5357 or
1-877-469-0418 province-wide.We also recommend that customers who are concerned about security look into F-Secure, the Access security solution powered by F-Secure. For a low monthly fee, we can provide you with the very latest in Internet security and virus protection.