Barclays gives online users free security software

Barclays Bank is to offer its two million online customers free security software.

The package from Kaspersky protects from adware, spyware, viruses and provides parental control and spam filters. Barclays already offers its online banking customers free antivirus software but has now beefed up the package to protect against other internet security threats.

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Barclays has not disclosed the cost of providing the software free to customers but the Kaspersky product usually sells for £51 for an annual subscription. The bank has signed up for two years with the antivirus company, giving the deal a retail value of more than £200m.

The software is available to any customers who have signed up to Barclays' online banking service and can be downloaded from the site. Each participating customer can get a licence that allows the software to be downloaded on three separate PCs.

Barclays director of digital banking Sean Gilchrist said in a statement: "For the last two years we have offered customers free antivirus software but as internet fraudsters become more sophisticated, it is important that customers protect their computers from all threats and not just viruses."

This initiative follows a similar move last year when the bank started to roll out a two-factor authentication system PINsentry. The bank said more than one million PIN readers have been sent out to customers under this programme.