How does Virus Alerts work?

The Virus Alerts process starts when customers search for a website URL (the www. address for the site you want to visit).

• If the URL hasn't been checked that day, the Virus Alerts system scans it for harmful content before you open it (the Virus Alerts system doesn't record who is searching for the page or any personal information).
• Following the website detection and analysis, the website URL is placed in a white list (i.e. the scan is clean - retained for up to 24 hours and then automatically deleted) or a black list (i.e. the scan shows viruses, spyware or other irregularities - this is kept until the website has been clean for 7 days and then is automatically deleted).
• The network processes billions of routing requests a day, so these lists are recorded in temporary memory. The system is subject to the same high level of security already applicable to the TalkTalk network and TalkTalk's customer data.
• Virus Alerts does not record or scan any secure "https" website URLs.

These lists will be used to alert our customers to websites suspected to be infected with viruses or other nasty surprises, depending on whether they have chosen to receive such alerts. Customers who have not chosen to receive Virus Alerts will continue to browse as they do today without any alerting when they visit potentially harmful websites.