Internet

Internet users should be aware of security compromises that could result in unauthorized access to personal information, including credit card numbers or personal documents, or damage to a computer's resources, such as altered files or erased hard drives.

To access another person's computer on the Internet you must have the IP address of the computer. This address can be up to 12 digits. For example: 208.77.188.166. Cox High Speed Internet assigns dynamic IP addresses rather than a static, known address. This means that as you are connected to the Internet the address of your computer is randomly assigned on an ongoing basis, which makes it extremely difficult to find the address.
 

Throughout Cox High Speed Internet, customers can connect computers in a local area network (LAN). Properly configured, computer resources can be shared on a LAN without compromising Internet security. To further increase the security of your Internet connection, Cox High Speed Internet recommends that individuals using Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 computers disable file and print sharing through the Network Control Panel.
 

Cox High Speed Internet customers have a private, encrypted connection from their cable modem to the cable router that is not shared with the rest of the network. Cox's CyberSurfer cable modem have a built-in security feature. All information going into and leaving through the cable modem is encrypted or scrambled to prevent information from being re-directed inappropriately. Encryption codes are re-assigned to each customer every 24 hours.

Cox advises its customers to turn their computers off but leave their cable modem on. This will prevent 24-hour computer connection to the Internet but will still allow Cox to monitor the status of the network to maintain a high-level of performance and reliability.
 

Security risks exist primarily within all operating systems and the programs that are run on those operating systems and are not due to any technology specific to cable modems. Cox encourages customers to maintain all systems and programs up-to-date with their appropriate security patches. Some examples of these programs may include Quicktime, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Adobe Security has always been an issue and traditionally, customers are advised of security concerns at the time of the selection and purchase of an Internet access provider.

• Turn off file and printer sharing if you are not using it.
• If you do share files, give read-only access to just the necessary directories, assign a strong password, and turn off sharing when it is no longer necessary.
• Turn your computer off when you are not using it.
• Put a strong password on your screen saver to prevent physical access when you are not at the computer.