In order to protect its subscribers against security threats on their mobile devices, Comcast has launched its Constant Guard Mobile app.

Comcast, the nation’s largest Internet service provider (ISP), said it’s the first ISP in the nation to offer an Internet safety and security platform for its smartphone and tablet users.

Constant Guard Mobile helps to protect subscribers from phishing attempts, identity theft and connecting to fraudulent websites and is available to Xfinity Internet customers for no additional charge. With online banking and shopping becoming more prevalent, Constant Guard Mobile can be downloaded to various devices to help quash online threats.

According to security firm Symantec, 35 percent of online adults worldwide have either lost or had their mobile device stolen, thereby exposing them to identity and data theft.

“Cybercrime on mobile devices is a growing trend,” said Susan Jin Davis, vice president of strategic services for Comcast Cable, “and we’re the first Internet service provider in the country to introduce online safety and security software to help protect our customers’ tablets and smartphones from cyber criminals. With Constant Guard, our goal is to make individuals and entire families safer online, no matter what type of device they may be using.”

Constant Guard Mobile is an app that provides customers with a secure way to log in to their banking, shopping, email and social networking accounts. The app also provides Constant Guard Safe Search, which proactively warns customers if a website is considered risky, or unsafe, and could potentially be a source of malware.

Constant Guard Mobile is currently available to Xfinity Internet customers and can be downloaded to iOS devices from the Apple iTunes Store. An Android version of the app is planned to launch in the coming months.

The app provides a direct connection to banks and shopping sites to protect against phishing attempts and identity theft. It also automatically and securely fills in login information for bank, email, and shopping and social networking accounts to help prevent financial fraud.

Other features include:

• Constant Guard safe search – Proactively provides safety ratings for search results to help identify dangerous and malicious websites.
• Safe access to accounts – Automatically comes preloaded with Xfinity email and provides the ability to add financial and non-financial accounts for quick and safe access.
• Secure “e-cart” checkout – Automatically completes payment authorization forms at checkout, which eliminates the need to store credit card information on shopping sites.
• Direct link to Constant Guard for PCs or laptops – Easily syncs financial, email or social networking accounts setup in the full Constant Guard version for PC/laptop with the Constant Guard Mobile app. Also offers app add-ons exclusively for Xfinity Internet customers, including “DeleteMe,” a privacy service that searches the Web for personal information and deletes it from the host site.

Comcast is also working to develop a version of the app that includes virus protection for Xfinity Internet customers who are interested in having additional layers of security for their mobile devices.

In addition, Comcast has updated the desktop version of Constant Guard by adding technology that helps prevent an emerging cybercrime called screen logging that can unknowingly use customers’ webcams to take pictures of their computer screen that may contain private data.

Comcast’s Constant Guard program was first trialed in Denver in 2009. At the time, it included a bot detection and notification service before Comcast added other online protection features, such as identity theft protection. Constant Guard has been rolled out across Comcast’s entire footprint.

Last year, Comcast added Norton Security Suite Version 6 to Constant Guard at no additional cost.