Virgin Media O2 highlights broadband security features you didn’t know existed with Essential Security

To help customers keep their connected devices safe, Virgin Media includes Essential Security – a cybersecurity protection service – as part of all broadband packages as standard and at no additional cost.

The free Essential Security service automatically protects all devices connected to a customer’s home network, helping to keep them safe.

Customers can upgrade their Advanced Security antivirus software for free for the first three months to enjoy additional security features on an unlimited number of devices.

From June 2022 to May 2023, Virgin Media blocked 136 million* unsafe or harmful websites, 800,000 threats from viruses, malware and spyware, and secured 4.9 million banking and commercial transactions with Advanced Security.

Virgin Media O2’s Director of Connectivity, Gareth Lister, has some useful tips to help people stay safe when using the internet.

With our dependence on connectivity greater than ever and online fraud attempts becoming increasingly difficult to detect, Virgin Media O2 is committed to helping customers keep their devices safe with Essential Security, an intelligent cybersecurity service included as standard with all broadband packages.

Customers can choose from two security offers: ‘Essential Security’ which comes standard with all broadband packages and at no extra cost, or ‘Advanced Security’, Virgin Media’s enhanced antivirus offering which protects an unlimited number of devices for just £3 a month ( first three months free) or £30 per year.

Virgin Media Essential Security benefits include:

Content filtering: Blocks scam and phishing websites.

Data protection: It prevents malware and viruses from transmitting customer data to fraudsters, hackers and phishers.

Parental Control: Keeps the whole family safe online with customizable timers and limits via My Virgin Media.

Protected devices: Available on all devices connected to your home Wi-Fi network.

Customers who upgrade to Advanced Security can use the first three months free of charge, after which the service costs just £3 a month or £30 a year. They can also benefit from enhanced security features, including:

Remote disruption of the device: Ensure devices are not accessible and controlled remotely.

Banking and shopping protection: Stops untrusted network connections when shopping or online banking.

Virus removal: Detects, scans and removes viruses and other malware already present on customer devices.

Improved parental controls: Sets up parental controls on each device, rather than using generic settings on all devices via My Virgin Media.

Travel protection: It provides constant security 24/7, regardless of the customer’s mobile operator, whether they are offline or connected to another broadband connection.

Protected devices: Available on unlimited devices for total protection everywhere.

Between summer 2022 and 2023 alone, Virgin Media’s security tools blocked visits to 136 million unsafe or harmful websites; prevented customers from opening viruses, malware or spyware almost 100 times per minute; and secured 4.9 million banking and shopping sessions.

This comes after a report by Action Fraud, according to which a whopping £890 million was stolen from Britons last year as a result of cyberattacks, which equates to an average loss of £4,500. pounds for each report of a crime involving cybercrime**.

According to further research by Gov UK, the most common cyber threats in the UK are relatively simple, with an estimated 95% of cyber attacks successful due to human error. This includes ‘active’ errors, such as opening malicious email attachments, and ‘passive’ errors, such as using weak passwords***.

Virgin Media O2’s Director of Connectivity, Gareth Lister, offers some useful tips to help broadband users stay safe online.

Choose a strong password: Make sure you set a strong and unique password to avoid unintentionally putting your devices and personal information at risk. Research shows that the most common password in the UK is ‘password’ ****, so be a little more creative and try using a combination of letters, numbers and symbols, and avoid using the same password across your devices and accounts. It’s also best to avoid providing personal information such as names, addresses and birthdays because they are predictable.

Set up two-factor authentication: If a hacker has correctly guessed your password, setting up two-factor authentication (i.e. facial recognition or a text message code) will help prevent them from accessing further information, which is why it’s important to add this extra layer of security.

Monitor the number of connected devices for home broadband: According to the Department of Science and Innovation and Technology (DSIT), over half of UK households now have a smart TV and voice assistant such as Alexa*****, meaning cybercriminals are increasingly trying to gain access to smart households items and stealing private data. Try to keep track of the devices connected to your home broadband network and the level of security you have on those devices.

ENDS

Notes for the editor:

*136 million blocking of unsafe or harmful websites based on Virgin Media Internet Security, now called ‘Advanced Security’ for PC users, from January 2023 to December 2023 only.