Lucent Technologies MERLIN LEGEND Release 5.0 Maintenance And Troubleshooting Manual page 289

MERLIN LEGEND Communications System Release 5.0
Maintenance and Troubleshooting 555-650-140
Customer Support Information
Security of Your System: Preventing Toll Fraud
The Remote Access feature, as designed, helps the customer, through proper
administration, to minimize the ability of unauthorized persons to gain access to the
network. Most commonly, phone numbers and codes are compromised when
overheard in a public location, through theft of a wallet or purse containing access
information, or through carelessness (for example, writing codes on a piece of
paper and improperly discarding it). Additionally, hackers may use a computer to
dial an access code and then publish the information to other hackers. Enormous
charges can be run up quickly. It is the customer's responsibility to take the
appropriate steps to properly implement the features, evaluate and administer the
various restriction levels, protect access codes, and distribute access codes only to
individuals who have been fully advised of the sensitive nature of the access
information.
Common carriers are required by law to collect their tariffed charges. While these
charges are fraudulent charges made by persons with criminal intent, applicable
tariffs state that the customer of record is responsible for payment of all
long-distance or other network charges. Lucent Technologies cannot be
responsible for such charges and will not make any allowance or give any credit for
charges that result from unauthorized access.
To minimize the risk of unauthorized access to your communications system:
Use a nonpublished Remote Access number.
Assign access codes randomly to users on a need-to-have basis,
keeping a log of all authorized users and assigning one code to one
person.
Use random-sequence access codes, which are less likely to be easily
broken.
Use the longest-length access codes the system will allow.
Deactivate all unassigned codes promptly.
Ensure that Remote Access users are aware of their responsibility to
keep the telephone number and any access codes secure.
Issue 1
June 1997
Page A-13