Advanced Security is included with a subscription to Ignite Internet. This feature monitors your home network for online threats in real-time, and alerts you of any suspicious activity. Find answers below to frequently asked questions about Advanced Security.
What is Advanced Security?
Advanced Security is an optional feature within the Ignite HomeConnect App that provides an additional layer of protection for your entire network by:
How do I access Advanced Security features?
Advanced Security is included with all our Ignite Internet plans. You must have an Ignite WiFi Gateway and use the Ignite HomeConnect App to enable Advanced Security.
To learn more, visit How To: Use Advanced Security.
What are the different types of threats prevented with Advanced Security?
Advanced Security prevents the following types of threats:
For more details on threat types and how to handle them, visit How To: Use Advanced Security.
How is Advanced Security different from the Protected Browsing feature in Ignite HomeConnect?
Protected Browsing is a feature available to all customers with a Ignite WiFi Gateway. It prevents you from visiting websites that are known sources of malware, spyware and phishing.
Advanced Security is an optional feature that adds even more protection for your devices. It monitors your entire network in real-time, blocks unknown sources from trying to access your connected devices, and alerts you of suspicious activity. Plus, Advanced Security is always learning so it keeps up with new security threats in real time.
Are all of my devices protected by Advanced Security?
All devices connected to your home network receive protection. However, there may be exceptions that prevent full protection, and we do not guarantee that your devices will be completely harm free.
How are threats detected with Advanced Security?
Whenever a device is connected to your home network, activity information is transmitted through your Ignite WiFi Gateway. We gather that information which includes data from packet headers, source and destination addresses, and other metadata for analysis. This traffic flow is monitored, including its source and destination. This helps us determine any associated risks and, if needed, block potentially malicious actions.
We also update the parameters for blocking to reflect newly-discovered known dangers and risks. If no risks or potentially malicious actions are detected, you'll see on the Dashboard that there are no threats to report.
Note: For your privacy, we don't gather personal information during this analysis nor is any encrypted traffic analyzed.
How can I be notified when a threat is detected?
You can receive a push notification from the Ignite HomeConnect App for the following threat types: Unauthorized Access Attempts, Suspicious Device Activity and Targeted Network Attacks. Just be sure that Network Activity notifications are enabled in your Ignite HomeConnect App settings. To learn more, visit How To: View and manage notifications in Ignite HomeConnect.
Keep in mind, you can visit the Dashboard in Ignite HomeConnect any time to check the status of all threats.
I received a notification that a website was blocked that I never visited. What does this mean?
This can happen when Advanced Security blocks part of a page (like a banner ad) that is considered potentially dangerous. When part of a page is blocked, you'll still get a notification telling you that the website associated with that content was blocked.
How many threats should I expect to see?
This can vary, since each home is different. It depends on the number and type of devices as well as network settings like security mode and port forwards. It's not uncommon to have no threats for a week and then one to three threats another week.
If you have set up port forwards on your network for any reason, you're likely to see a higher number of reported threats—even up to hundreds within a week—depending on which ports are open.
I haven't had any threats reported. How do I know that Advanced Security is working?
The number of potential threats varies depending on which devices are in your home and how they're being used. Rest assured, even if you have not received reports of any threats, your home network is still being protected by Advanced Security.
Do all threats require my attention?
While all threats are immediately blocked, they don't all require your attention. Those that do will be labeled Attention Required. Other threats are for your awareness only and are labeled as such.
To learn more about the different threat types and how to handle them, visit How To: Use Advanced Security.
If I move to a new address, or swap out my Ignite WiFi Gateway for a new one, will I still be protected by Advanced Security?
Yes. If you move and transfer your Internet service to a new address, Advanced Security will continue to work just as it did before. If you swap your Ignite WiFi Gateway for a new one, Advanced Security will be re-activated after you login to Ignite HomeConnect again.
Note: If you swap your Gateway, all previous threat information will be cleared from Ignite HomeConnect.
Can I disable Advanced Security?
Yes. To disable the Advanced Security feature in Ignite HomeConnect, navigate to Overview and select the Account Menu icon on the top left. Then, select Shaw Advanced Security, press Turn Off and follow the on-screen prompts.
Note: By disabling, you'll lose 24/7 threat monitoring and real-time reporting on your home network. You can re-enable the feature following the same steps and selecting Enable.
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