TDS Telecommunications Corp. uses Alcatel-Lucent's Kindsight solution to help protect U.S. customers from malicious hacker attacks on home network

MADISON, Wis. and PARIS, Nov. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU), the leading network technology group, and TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS Telecom), the seventh largest local exchange telephone company in the U.S., today announced that Kindsight security technology is powering TDS' Hacker Alert service.

The Kindsight Broadband Security solution enables TDS to continuously analyze Internet traffic for threats, inform subscribers and provide directions on how to remove 'malware' or other infections on a device.  TDS Hacker is the fastest selling value-added service in the company's history and already ranks as the second most popular premium service that TDS offers.  

With this move, TDS can quickly address the problem of subscribers that lack security protection for their devices, or have insufficient or outdated anti-virus software.  The security service helps consumers avoid getting malware by visiting infected websites, opening infected attachments or files on an USB stick which can lead to embarrassment, general annoyance, even identify theft.

Key Facts:

• TDS Hacker Alert uses Alcatel-Lucent's Kindsight Broadband Security technology to alert subscribers when devices in their home network are infected by malware and to help them remove the threat.
• In addition to protecting subscribers, TDS is removing unwanted malicious traffic on its network and reducing call volume into its customer support center
• Kindsight Security Labs Malware Quarterly Report found that 10% of home networks and over 0.5% of mobile devices were infected with malware, both increases from the previous quarter.
• Malicious software or "malware" is used by hackers to gain access to devices, steal personal information, generate massive quantities of spam, launch denial of service attacks on business and governments and commit millions of dollars in fraudulent banking and advertising scams.
• The Kindsight Broadband Security solution is key element of The Shift Plan, Alcatel-Lucent's industrial strategy to become a specialist vendor of IP Networking and Ultra-Broadband Access.

Quotes:

Matt Apps, Manager of Product Management and Development at TDS Telecom, said: "Internet consumers are increasingly becoming the targets of malware attacks. With Hacker Alert, consumers benefit from an always-on, always up-to-date security service that cannot be disabled by hackers. Its popularity speaks volumes about the need fulfilled by launching this unique security solution."

Brendan Ziolo, Business Development, Alcatel-Lucent Kindsight, said: "Consumers have gotten pretty used to making sure their home computers are running anti-virus software programs, but that is not enough. They need to deploy multiple layers of security to protect against infections that evade detection by anti-virus programs. And now, mobile devices are a new target which consumers leave largely unprotected. The Kindsight Security Solutions can be embedded in both fixed and mobile broadband networks so the consumer can be notified of a threat, regardless of the device, when their personal information is at risk."

Helpful Links:
Kindsight website
Kindsight Security Labs Malware Quarterly Report

About TDS
TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS®) is the seventh largest local exchange telephone company in the U.S. Headquartered in Madison, Wis. it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS)  For 44 years, the company has been connecting people with high-speed Internet, phone, and TV entertainment services in over a hundred rural, suburban, and metropolitan communities. Today, TDS has nearly 1 million customer connections in service and 2,500 employees. Business customers select from the latest technologies, including: VoIP (managedIP Hosted) phone service, dedicated high-speed Internet and hosted-managed services. Visit tdstelecom.com or tdsbusiness.com for more information.

About Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU)

Alcatel-Lucent is at the forefront of global communications, providing products and innovations in IP and cloud networking, as well as ultra-broadband fixed and wireless access to service providers and their customers, enterprises and institutions throughout the world.

Underpinning Alcatel-Lucent in driving the industrial transformation from voice telephony to high-speed digital delivery of data, video and information is Bell Labs, an integral part of Alcatel-Lucent and one of the world's foremost technology research institutes, responsible for countless breakthroughs that have shaped the networking and communications industry. Alcatel-Lucent innovations have resulted in the company being recognized by Thomson Reuters as a Top 100 Global Innovator, as well as being named by MIT Technology Review as amongst 2012's Top 50 "World's Most Innovative Companies". Alcatel-Lucent has also been recognized for innovation in sustainability, being named Industry Group Leader for Technology Hardware & Equipment sector in the 2013 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices review for making global communications more sustainable, affordable and accessible, all in pursuit of the company's mission to realize the potential of a connected world.

With revenues of Euro 14.4 billion in 2012, Alcatel-Lucent is listed on the Paris and New York stock exchanges (Euronext andNYSE: ALU). The company is incorporated in France and headquartered in Paris.

For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, read the latest posts on the Alcatel-Lucent blog http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog and follow the Company on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Alcatel_Lucent.

SOURCE Alcatel-Lucent