Sprint Launches e-Security Awareness Program to Help Businesses Navigate The Networked Economy

Cambridge Telcom Report, Dec 13, 1999

Sprint Business Monday launched an e-security awareness program targeted to enhance public education and awareness of the importance of security when shopping on the Internet or conducting day-to-day business over the high-speed networks used for e-business today. With analysts estimating that shoppers will turn to the Internet this holiday season in droves, and with e-business estimated to now reach $1 trillion by 2003 (International Data Corporation, "The Global Market Forecast for Internet Usage and Commerce"), consumers and business people must make network and computer security just as second nature as locking the door when leaving their home or office.

Sprint's program, "Protecting Consumers and Corporate Information in a Networked World", responds to the 1999 FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey which notes that over 60% of the Fortune 1000 companies have experienced major security breaches within the last 12 months. The report also estimates that, financial losses caused by computer and network crimes will reach $10 billion within 2 years.

Sprint's e-security awareness initiative not only responds to growing concerns about network reliability and computer security, but also to recent reports from The Information Security Magazine that the lack of end-user awareness was the second largest obstacle to enforcing adequate levels of security.

The awareness program consists of Sprint Business' network security staff providing expertise and helpful hints to those using the public Internet network or businesses and their staff, who are not the technology experts, but actively using their e-mail and other business connections for carrying out e- business. Sprint's initiative covers everything from security awareness when shopping on the Net, to the day-to-day actions business people should take to protect corporate information such as e-mails, shared office documents, sales documents and e-business transactions that are accessible through remote access and global network connections.

"We want business people and consumers to be conscious that they should be taking steps to make their transactions on the Internet safer and more secure," said Nimesh Shah, director of Data Applications Marketing, Sprint Business. "With over 75 different firewalls available and 50 plus distinct intrusion detection packages, there is certainly no lack of technology options."

By reaching out to the public and its business customers, Sprint is reminding people to take simple steps and raise their consciousness about security in a networked world. Some easy steps include:

* Protect computer and network access passwords * Make backups of vital files * Password protect or encrypt files sent over the Internet * Only provide credit card info to encrypted web sites * Ensure the servers used are secure for credit card purchases * Immediately report security breaches to company officials.

"Sprint understands the challenges of protecting corporate information in today's global economy, and is putting its expertise to work for all businesses that want to take steps to overcome one of the largest hurdles for protecting private, corporate data," said Tari Schreider, author of the Encyclopedia of Disaster Recovery, Security and Risk Management and senior manager for Sprint Paranet's Security and Business Continuity practices.

Sprint's program also consists of expenditures nearing $1.0 million in security awareness advertising distributed in national business and technology media. A handout on basic business practices, which everyone can adopt to make corporate information more secure, the offer of free security audits for current customers, a fact sheet documenting the problems businesses face as a result of growing cybercrime, a series of business speaking engagements by Sprint security experts, and customer meetings and events.

As the first long-distance carrier to introduce a combined voice and data security support service and the first to offer financial protection against customer premise equipment fraud, Sprint has been providing businesses with a range of services to support the need to protect proprietary business information.

Among current Sprint services, Sprint is the only Internet Service provider to offer security service level agreements (SSLAs) that include 100% coverage with credit back for non- performance. Today, Sprint proactively monitors and analyzes data traffic to help businesses identify vulnerabilities before intrusion or theft occurs. Sprint was one of the first companies to design and deliver Virtual Private Networks to business customers. Virtual Private Networks are shared, public data networks with the reliability and benefits of secure and private business networks. In addition, Sprint's expertise supports business customers in their investigation and prosecutions for data and cybercrimes.

Sprint is a global communications company -- at the forefront of integrating long-distance, local and wireless communications services, and one of the largest carriers of Internet traffic. Sprint built and operates the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network and is a leader in advanced data communications services. Sprint has $17 billion in annual revenues and serves more than 20 million business and residential customers. FMI: www.sprint.com/data1.>

COPYRIGHT 1999 EDGE Publishing

COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group