Our Security, Trust & Safety team may have recently contacted you by letter following detection of malware on the broadband line you have with BT.
What is malware?
Malware is malicious software that is used to harm computer operation, steal personal information, or gain access to private computer systems. It can include viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware and adware.
How to remove the malware
If you've already got BT Virus Protect, the good news is that malware is unlikely to have infected any devices where this is installed. But for peace of mind you might want to run a full scan. Be aware that this can take a few hours to complete.
If you don't have BT Virus Protect, we recommend you download it now to all devices connected to the internet. This will also help protect you from threats like this in the future. It’s free with all our broadband packages.
Find out more about BT Virus Protect
How to best protect yourself from a Malware infection
Malware often takes advantage of vulnerabilities in operating systems. Make sure your operating system is up to date. Antivirus software requires regular updates to remain effective. This should happen automatically, not shutting your computer down and leaving it in sleep or hibernation can prevent these updates from being installed.
Install BT Virus Protect antivirus software
Additional advice and tips on staying safe online can be found at www.getsafeonline.org
What to do if you’ve been infected with malware
If you’ve been infected with any of the malware we’ve listed, we recommend you now take the following steps. If you need help in doing this, you should seek guidance from a qualified professional.
BT is not responsible for any damage or loss of data caused:
- Turn off your Wi-Fi and unplug any Ethernet or network carrying cables.
- Safely format or replace your disk drives and reinstall the OS.
- Connect the device to a clean network in order to download, install and update the OS and all other software.
- Install, update, and run antivirus software.
- Reconnect to your network.
- Monitor network traffic and run antivirus scans to identify if any infection remains.
- Immediately disconnect the infected devices from network.
What should I do if I think I've lost money through malware?
You should report it to www.actionfraud.police.uk >