NEW YORK, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The approach of summer vacations for most school children is an ideal time for families to conduct a critical checkup of their online security tools, and – with a new bundle offer – Verizon broadband customers can get what amounts to a summer of free protection from online threats.

Customers ordering the new bundle of  Verizon Internet Security Suite (VISS) – powered by McAfee – and Verizon Online Backup & Sharing (VOBS) for the first time will qualify for three months of free service.  After the first three months, customers will be automatically billed the monthly rate of $10 for 50 GB (gigabytes) of online storage and sharing and VISS coverage for up to three computers. Other Internet-security options and backup and sharing plans also are available, and Mac-operating-system versions are available for both VISS and VOBS.  Plan details are available at http://surround.verizon.com/Shop/FeaturedOffers/Default.aspx.

"Every day the headlines report new strains of computer viruses and malware, as well as a growing number of identity theft cases," said Benigno Gonzalez, executive director of consumer product strategy. "With kids now at home -- or soon to be -- for summer break, family computer and Internet usage will no doubt increase. This is a good time for families to consider steps to protect their children, as well as their critical computer files, from unwanted online intrusions.

"In addition to providing the latest Internet security protections and up to 250 GB of offsite file-storage capacity, customers will be able to easily share summer vacation photos, videos or other files and data with friends, family or work associates," Gonzalez added.

Along with McAfee's powerful two-way firewall, anti-spam, anti-virus and anti-spyware protection tools, VISS service provides consumer and small-business customers with the following features:

• McAfee Active Protection™ technology – Provides customers immediate protection from threats by analyzing and blocking the threats within milliseconds of their arrival on customers' PCs, rather than waiting for scheduled threat updates.
• SiteAdvisor technology – An award-winning website safety adviser that helps customers search and conduct online transactions by providing color-coded safety ratings for websites, warning customers of risky sites that could jeopardize their privacy and their home or business computer, and helping them search and conduct online transactions more safely.
• Network Manager – Detects new devices and alerts the customer when those devices connect to their home network.
• McAfee Shredder technology – Lets customers effectively remove all traces of confidential files from their computers.
• Protection Updates – Provides continuous, automatic updates and upgrades to protect customers from fast-moving Internet threats.

Accessed from any Internet connection, Verizon's Online Backup & Sharing includes such enhanced features as:

• A Web-based multimedia player that allows users and designated guests to view stored photos, video and music from any broadband connection.
• A file-backup function that monitors changes in pre-selected files and directories on a user's computer and automatically sends updates to the user's VOBS account.
• A drag-and-drop function that allows users to store and access files on their computer at the same time the files are visible in the Web portal and can be accessed by guests.
• Automatic backups of files for Mac OS X 10.5 users and higher.
• The ability for users to access and manage their VOBS accounts with any Web-capable mobile device.

The new bundle offer is available to Verizon broadband customers that have either Windows or Mac operating systems and who are ordering VISS and VOBS for the first time.  Further information regarding VISS and VOBS, as well as several new offers for bundles of Verizon Internet, TV and phone services, is available at Verizon.com.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 93 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 217,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon