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SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.

National Consumer Protection Week to be held March 3-9

MONROE, La., March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) is dedicated to protecting its customers' Internet experience and, in association with National Consumer Protection Week, has released a list of recommended precautions to promote safe Internet use. National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), which takes place March 3 -9, is an annual campaign that encourages consumers to take full advantage of their consumer rights and make better-informed decisions.

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"Given that people are increasingly online, we felt it was important to offer protection tips in order to raise awareness of safe online practices," said Dave Mahon, vice president and Chief Security Officer at CenturyLink. "Our goal is not only to make sure customers have information to maintain strong Internet security, but to help customers get rid of computer infections as well, which often appear in the form of crashes, freezes and slow downs."

Six Tips to Increase Internet Safety

• Replace "simple" passwords (i.e.,1234 or "password") with alpha-numeric and symbols
• Never post personal info in chat rooms or agree to engage in offline chats or meetings
• Do not share contact info on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or similar posts or profiles
• Always make sure that your PC, Mac or tablet device system software is up to date
• Make sure your antivirus software is automatically updated and running regular scans on all of your operating systems to protect against new threats, which may lead to identity fraud
• Scan hard disk(s) to find and remove unauthorized remote controls and back up data in real time
• For additional information and tips: http://security.centurylink.net/article/7-practices-for-computer-security

The official website of National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), NCPW.gov, offers consumers tips and information from federal and state government and non-profit partner organizations.

About CenturyLink
CenturyLink is the third largest telecommunications company in the United States and is recognized as a leader in the network services market by technology industry analyst firms. The company is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprise customers. CenturyLink provides data, voice and managed services in local, national and select international markets through its high-quality advanced fiber optic network and multiple data centers for businesses and consumers. The company also offers advanced entertainment services under the CenturyLink® Prism™ TV and DIRECTV brands. Headquartered in Monroe, La., CenturyLink is an S&P 500 company and is included among the Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations. For more information, visit www.centurylink.com.

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