TalkTalk scam protection

“As they need access to these websites, not using scam protection was the only option.”

Working from home has raised many issues, from keeping your data secure to the dog thinking they are the star of your morning catch up meeting.

Not only does it cause issues for the user working from home, but from an IT support point of view too.

It’s gone from a couple of users working from home and maybe a couple of salesmen on the road, to often being more than half of the workforce.

Things are slowly going back to normal, but a lot of companies have realised that working from home is something that can be catered for.

Where the job function suits, it is a real option for workers now.

One of the issues is that ‘home’ broadband, which has traditionally been used for updating Facebook, keeping up with the news or streaming services, is now being used for business and therefore requires more access than before.

Internet providers often add or remove features to their services without much information, which leads to the dreaded “it was working fine yesterday” statement – something IT professionals hear much too often.

The latest security measures provided by TalkTalk to protect their customers are an example of this.

HomeSafe has been added to services recently, but it can actually make things more difficult for the business user.

There is good intent behind it. With scam protection enabled by default, it blocks websites which it deems ‘unsafe’ so that devices connected to the internal network are protected.

It takes websites, software and applications that could be used maliciously by scammers and blocks them. Sounds good in theory, right?

The issue here is that it doesn’t take into consideration that some of these ‘unsafe’ protocols that are being blocked can also be used legitimately to access company information.

If you use a remote access agent, the scam protection feature can stop all access – meaning that you can’t use your device and a halt to your ability to work.

At Itek Systems Management, we use remote access agents to access client devices.

This allows us to resolve issues quickly and efficiently. It avoids the step-by-step explanation which the client has to follow (causing stress and frustration on both sides when it doesn’t work).

The popular remote access viewer ‘TeamViewer’ was also included in the ban list, which led to some users unable to work.

This has caused so many issues to the point where some have had to resort to turning scam protection off.

As they need access to these websites, not using scam protection was the only option. This left users vulnerable and unprotected – a sacrifice they shouldn’t have to make to access essential software.

Some users have also had issues with the ‘Kids Safe’ feature, as it blocks any inappropriate websites for children.

The feature has been enabled for users meaning they cannot access a wide range of websites. Even when it’s turned off in settings, it continues to apply the filter.

With the broadband being a ‘home’ product, the customer service support will be geared towards assisting with general issues and may be unable to assist with these more technical problems.

As there’s so many issues with HomeSafe features, turning it off seems like the best option for many.

You can do this by:

1.     Logging into your TalkTalk account

2.     Click on ‘My Services’

3.     Select ‘View HomeSafe services’

4.     Select ‘Off’ and confirm your decision in the pop-up window that appears

We aren’t picking on TalkTalk, there are many other issues with internet providers not allowing remote access, VPN connections and other essential services.

Turning it off resolves a lot of problems but hasn’t stopped them all for a select number of users.

It has been speculated that other ISPs may start to implement similar features, so it’s something to look out for.