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It's important to stay safe when you're online. This is why BT offers services to help you protect your safety, security and privacy.

All our broadband options include BT Family Protection and BT Yahoo! Mail security at no extra cost. If you opt for BT Total Broadband Options 2, 3 or BT Infinity, you get BT NetProtect Plus anti-virus and firewall protection included at no extra cost.

BT NetProtect Plus gives you all the protection you, your computer and your family need online. If you haven't already, all you need to do is download and install it now to get instant protection.

Here are some other areas of security you should think about:

Protecting your BT Home Hub

The BT Home Hub has built-in security software to keep your wireless connection secure. Find out more by reading our BT Home Hub security advice.

Anti-virus software

To stop viruses and other unwanted intruders, make sure you install BT NetProtect Plus by visiting the download pages.

If BT NetProtect Plus is not included with your broadband service, we recommend you buy it here.

Be wary about emails

Many viruses arrive in the form of an email with an attachment. BT Yahoo! Mail automatically filters viruses from your email. However, if you use other email services you may not get the same level of protection.

To prevent infection:

1. Don't open attachments unless you're sure of where it comes from and the likely content. Remember, some emails with viruses use false addresses and therefore could appear to be from people or companies you know. (For example, billing@btopenworld.com and accounts@btinternet.com.)

   BT never sends out emails with attachments. So if you get an email with an attachment that claims to be from BT, just delete it straightaway without opening it.

2. Keep your computer operating system up to date. If you're running Windows on a PC then use the Microsoft Windows update website. If you've got a Mac then use the software update feature that's built in to OSX. This way you'll always have the latest security patches.

 What is a virus, trojan or worm?

 What's a firewall?

 How can I stop spyware and adware on my computer? 

Dealing with spam emails

One of the benefits of BT Yahoo! Mail is that it includes tools to help you stop unwanted emails.

 How should I deal with pornographic spam emails and harmful or illegal web content?

 Why have other people claimed I have sent them emails that I know I haven't?

Protecting your family

Parental controls come with BT Broadband at no extra cost. For more information, visit the BT Family Protection pages.

 How can I control what my children do on the internet?

Phishing and identity theft

Criminals use different methods to try to get hold of your personal details including sending out bogus emails asking you to supply information to "protect your account".

 What is phishing? Is the email I have received genuine?

 What is identity theft?

Find out how to protect yourself on the BT Yahoo! privacy pages.

Further information

 Learn about the basics of internet security at www.bt.com/safety

 General news and tips on security issues from the BT Life team

 Read more about BT NetProtectPlus

 Read BT's privacy policy

To sign up for the Super Safe Boost and download F-Secure, follow the steps below:

1. Go to My Account and login.
2. Go to Super Safe Boost.
3. Click Buy Now, or if you already have the service, Download.
4. On the following page, click Download.
5. Click Save and select your desktop as the location to save the file to.

You will now be able to download and install the F-Secure software.

For help on installation from this point see, How do I install TalkTalk Security?.

If you need to update your e-mail address, go to: How do I update my e-mail address in My Account?

A virus is a malicious program intended to destroy data on your computer or to crash specific software applications. Viruses can be attached to email messages or downloaded to your computer via interactive websites. Hackers can also plant viruses if they manage to break into your computer.

To prevent this from happening, we recommend that you:

• Install firewall software on your computer
• Install antivirus software on your computer and run a virus scan with it regularly
• Never open or download files from unknown or untrustworthy sources
• Go to F-Secure Online Scanner to scan your computer for viruses

For more information about online security, visit our Security Centre.

As an internet provider, we receive billions of requests every day from our customers to connect to all sorts of websites. Some of the websites our customers visit contain viruses or deliberately malicious code, which can be used to steal their information or damage their computer. Often, the website owners are unaware that malicious code or viruses are on their site. Other websites contain content which our customers do not wish themselves, or their family members, to view.

We want to help our customers avoid their devices (PCs, Macs, games consoles, set top boxes etc.) being compromised by these threats and unwanted content, so we've designed and built a new security product called HomeSafe. It gives our customers greater protection and control over their web browsing experience. It's brand new, but we're ready for our customers to start using it and tell us what they think about it. HomeSafe is available to most, but not all customers at the moment.

More information

For more information on Virus Alerts, please visit TalkTalk Virus Alerts.

For more information on KidsSafe and Homework Time, please visit KidsSafe and Homework Time.

How do I sign up for HomeSafe?

To sign up for HomeSafe, please visit www.talktalk.co.uk/homesafe.

This article contains links to advice on keeping your BT Home Hub secure.

Choose from the links below for your Hub

BT Broadband includes the following security features for all customers:

• Email anti-virus - scans your BT Yahoo! email attachments for viruses.
• Spam blocker - diverts junk emails to a separate folder.
• Anti-spyware protection - scans your computer for spyware and adware.
• Pop-up blocker - stops pop-up windows appearing when you browse the Internet.

BT Total Broadband Option 2 and 3, BT Infinity customers also get BT NetProtect Plus, a PC and Mac comprehensive security suite provided by McAfee. This includes:

1. VirusScan - protects you from the latest security threats, including viruses, Trojans, tracking cookies, spyware and adware.
2. Personal Firewall - acts as a security barrier against hackers and other online threats, allowing you to access the Internet, but keeping unauthorised intruders locked out.
3. Parental Controls - lets you filter potentially inappropriate websites, turn on age-appropriate searching, and set web browsing time limits. Parental Controls also lets you universally restrict access to specific Web sites, and block access based on associated keywords.
4. SiteAdvisor - warns you before you interact with a dangerous website by checking for threats such as spyware, online scams, and spam.

It's included free of charge with BT Total Broadband Options 2, 3 and BT Infinity. To download now, go to www.bt.com/netprotectplus If you're on BT Total Broadband Option 1 you can buy BT NetProtect Plus for a small monthly fee. To buy now, go to www.bt.com/netprotectplus

Your PC or Mac may have a virus or a "trojan", or may have been used as an "open relay server". We advise you to use virus protection software to ensure you have no trojans on your computer.

Alternatively, your email address may have been used by spammers, where, in order to hide their own identity, they will have sent spam emails which will appear to have come from you. They can do this by using your email address as their "Reply To" address (this is called "email spoofing").

Welcome to the TalkTalk blog. Here you'll find regular entries from our Chairman Charles Dunstone, our CEO Dido Harding and members of the TalkTalk team.

From the launch of free broadband in 2006 to the release of our innovative new myTalkTalk package, we're always thinking of ways to change the phone and broadband market for the better. Through the blog you'll be the first to hear any news.

If you have any general comments or questions about TalkTalk, or would like to get the latest service updates, then feel free to visit TalkTalk Members