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Our guest blogger today is Jack McArtney. Jack manages issues surrounding online safety for Verizon. He also has played a key role in the introduction of Verizon Safeguards and numerous parental control products and services for Verizon customers.
Today’s message focuses on taking responsible steps to keep your voicemail information safe.
CTIA – the Wireless Association – posted a blog entry to discuss the voicemail hacking that has been in the news this summer. In that post, CTIA very nicely explains an issue called “pretexting”, which is illegal in the U.S., and gives very good tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.
I wanted to build on that and provide more safeguard recommendations for voicemail passwords.
If you’re anything like me, you suffer from password overload. There are so many online subscriptions and social media accounts. You need a password for e-mail, a password for online banking and more for newspaper and magazine accounts. It’s become virtually impossible to remember them all.
But the down-side of not taking the time to secure all your accounts separately is – well – risky.
Here’s the good news. When you’re logging into your voicemail, there are steps you can take to proactively keep your information safer. Since passwords are the first line of defense, applying the following recommendations will help secure your electronic communications.
Voicemail Password Dos and Don’ts
- Do change your password every 60 days.
- Do use at least 6 digits for your password.
- Don't use repeating digits like 1111, 7777
- Don't use any portion of your telephone number
- Don’t use special symbols like * or #. You can only use numeric digits.
- Don’t share your password with anyone. Verizon never requests passwords in email or via telephone.
- Don’t use the same password for multiple services.
It’s good to make a strong, secure password. At Verizon we have a long history of helping safeguard your services. In fact Verizon was the first carrier to require a password to access voicemail. Verizon Wireless also requires users to generate their own voicemail password; no “default” password will do.
If you’d like a little more information on voicemail safety, visit Verizon Wireless’ website and see the online FAQ on voicemail.
To view vital speeches given by our authors, visit our speeches page.
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Kathy Brown
S.V.P., Public Policy Development and Corporate Responsibility
Kathy leads Verizon's global corporate responsibility initiatives and policy development. She also oversees the Verizon Foundation.
James Gowen
Chief Sustainability Officer/
V.P. of Services Operations
James oversees Verizon’s supply chain, vehicle fleet, investment recovery, purchasing and materials management and sustainability initiatives.
Rose Kirk
President, Verizon Foundation
Rose leads Verizon's philanthropic strategy with an emphasis on projects that demonstrate the use of Verizon's technology in addressing social issues such as education, domestic violence prevention and online safety. The Verizon Foundation is one of the 15 largest corporate foundations in America.
Jack McArtney
Director of Corporate and Community Responsibility
Jack promotes digital wellness and online safety. He works with parents, educators, service providers, application developers and industry leaders to foster responsible use of Verizon's mobile and broadband networks.
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