The broadband revolution has transformed the way that we use computers and the Internet, making light work of banking, shopping, communication and entertainment. However, there has also been a big increase in spam emails, viruses and computer hacking.

If you are using broadband, taking steps to make your computer secure is no longer an option - it's essential! Much of the disruption caused by spam email and viruses are the result of innocent users having their insecure computers hijacked. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get secure. In fact, some very good programmes are free for home use.

Firewalls
Windows XP comes with a very basic firewall, which has been much improved in Service Pack 2. However, it is still no substitute for a dedicated firewall program. For business users a hardware firewall is still the safest option.

Read more information about using the Metronet firewall.

Anti-virus software

AVG anti-virus by Grisoft
Fully-featured software suite. Free (single home user) and commercial versions available.

HouseCall - online virus scanner
Free virus checker which runs within your browser.