Customers of Virgin Mobile (Virgin Media) can now benefit from a year’s worth of free access to Mobile security software from F-Secure (F-Secure SAFE and F-Secure KEY Premium Password Manager), which can be installed on up to 5 devices.
The F-Secure SAFE software, which is supported by both Android and iOS (iPhone etc.) based Mobile devices, includes virus protection, web browsing and banking protection, finder and device wipe, parental controls, application privacy protection and the F-Secure KEY password manager.
The software normally costs £79.99, although Virgin Mobile customers will get it free for one year and then 70% off thereafter (i.e. £25 per year). Customers of Virgin Media’s various ultrafast cable broadband packages can already receive this.
Jeff Dodds, MD of Virgin Mobile, said:
“While Brits spend more time browsing the web on their smartphones than on laptops, our research shows a lack of awareness about security. Not enough people are protecting themselves from the growing threat of cybercrime on the very device they use the most. We’re helping to protect our customers from these online risks with advanced security software bundled into their existing plans.”
Naturally the operator has included a few statistics to help encourage their mobile customers to take security more seriously, which is based on a recent survey of 2,006 UK adults by Opinium Research. The study found that 94% believe their data security is important, yet only 34% have installed anti-virus software on their mobile phone and that’s despite 19% of mobile phone users falling victim to online fraud or cybercrime.
Apparently 17% of respondents also admitted to storing passwords on their mobile phone. Of these Brits, over two-fifths (43%) save passwords in the Notes app, 28% save them as names in their contacts book and 26% list them in their contacts book under celebrity names. Only 21% actually store their passwords in a Password Manager. Mind you keeping everything in a single password manager can carry its own risks.
We also get treated to a list of security tips from Dr Jessica Barker, Director of cyber.uk.
Dr. Jessica Barker’s Top 10 Tips
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