Cablevision touts free security service

Cablevision is upping the value-added ante for its high-speed Internet access service, adding new parental control capabilities and making all of its security services available at no charge.

Cablevision’s Optimum Online service, available in the metropolitan New York area, had featured anti-virus and firewall services at a discount for almost three years. Under the new offering, however, customers can download anti-virus, firewall and parental control software for free.

“Internet security has always been a primary focus for Optimum Online, which is why we were one of the first Internet service providers to make online security tools easily accessible to our customers," said Patricia Gottesman, Cablevision's executive vice president of consumer product management and marketing, in a prepared statement. "Today we are pleased to announce that we are making these important security tools available to our more than 1.25 million high-speed Internet customers as a value-added enhancement at no additional cost. We think this is an important step that will protect our customers and further Optimum Online's role as a trusted technology advisor helping to make using the Internet safe, effortless and enjoyable.”

Cablevision’s security services will be based on Computer Associates’ eTrust suite of consumer security products, and will feature three levels of protection. These range from eTrust EZ Antivirus 2005 at $29.95 to eTrust EZ Firewall 2005 at $39.95 to eTrust EZ Armor 2005, which combines antivirus and firewall protection with parental controls and has a suggested retail value of $49.95.

The security service upgrade is the latest in a series of improvements to Optimum Online, including a 40% increase in average downstream speeds. According to Cablevision, its customer base has nearly doubled over the past two years from 680,000 to more than 1.25 million, as of September, 2004.