Protecting your PC

Auckland student Rachael Ouwejan thought her computer was well-protected from viruses and other nasties that can be picked up via the internet. She had good reason to be cautious; on her computer was stored important research and assignments for her university masters degree.

But when a flatmate using her computer innocently clicked through to some internet images, malicious software installed itself and began creating havoc. It repeatedly tampered with Rachael's internet favourites and other settings, crashed her PC several times, made expensive random calls to Lichtenstein, and destroyed important documents.

Rachael was relieved she caught it before more damage was done to her university work.

Rachael was victim of at least one of the identified 100,000 online security threats that can attack home computers and personal items stored on them.

Head of Xtra Chris Thompson says despite hundreds of new viruses being identified every month, around 50 per cent of home PC users aren't adequately protected, and research shows that many find keeping up with all the necessary protections confusing and time-consuming.

"There's an obvious need for an easier but affordable way to stay protected against the range of online threats," Thompson says.

In response, Xtra has launched a new security suite, powered by leading security specialists McAfee. The Xtra Security Suite is an all-in-one protection against viruses, worms, Trojan dialers, spyware and hackers - the online threats that can damage or destroy computers and their contents, hi-jack internet accounts or phone lines, gain access to credit card details and other personal information, or even lead to identity theft.

The Xtra Security Suite can provide anti-virus protection, a personal firewall and detection and removal of adware and spyware.

Parents can also use the controls and filters included to shield children from offensive content and inappropriate chatrooms.

"We want New Zealanders to be able to enjoy the internet with greater safety and peace of mind," Thompson says.

"Effective protection is not just about installing the software. It requires ongoing attention to make sure new strains of worms, viruses and other intruders can't get in.

"The Xtra Security Suite is easy to install and use and can be set to automatically update for ongoing protection against the latest security threats. It also comes from a safe and reliable source, and it gives comprehensive protection from known security threats."