PC Security Check for Online Banking

BIEGAJ

Does anyone know a reliable service that will check your PC at home to ensure that it is safe for online banking and to recommend ways of keeping it safe? This would include advice on the best antivirus/antispyware, security updates, encryption, secure email, secure browser settings, user account passwords, etc.
PC world have a home visit PC Healthcheck for £69.99, but it is not clear if it includes all these essential things.

mostly

Get your self a good firewall like this http://www.agnitum.com/products/outpost/

a very good virus checker like this http://www.eset.co.uk/

some spyware whatsits like these http://filehippo.com/download_ad-aware/
http://filehippo.com/download_spybot_search_destroy/

use firefox, dont be a numpty and reply to phishing emails http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk/phishing_examples.html

dont google for free pr0n or free music, never give out your password ever ever ever ever ever.

Dont give any money to pcworld, invest it in GOOD software.

Chippy_Minton

Try the DIY approach and save money.

Control Panel - Security Centre. Check Firewall, Automatic Updates and Virus Protection are all on.

Kit out your PC for free - Anti-spyware, anti-virus and firewalls (most 3rd party firewalls are better than Windows' own).

Malware/Spyware Removal Guide - To check your computer is free of nasties.

Free online virus scanners

All links available on this forum.

superscaper

Even if it were free, I still wouldn't trust a third party to ensure that your pc was "secure". Certainly not PC World anyway, going by some people's experiences in their lack of actually doing much for your pc. Learn it yourself, you don't entrust your PIN and credit cards to a third party so don't do the same thing with our pc. Remember there's no such thing as 100% secure for anything but your pc can be just as secure or even more secure than any other method if you're sensible (and pay attention to the above posts).

BIEGAJ

I currently have a Netgear router with a double hardware firewall and the F-secure antivirus/antispyware/software firewall from TalkTalk which supplies my broadband with Windows XP service pack 2. Is this sufficiently safe?

Antexter

run linux .

if you want to be safe follow the above instructions, use opera browser and disable java and javascript on it, and runas guest account, it should stop malicious sites.
If you're on wireless use a SSH tunnel to access the bank.

mostly

fprot is very good, dont know about its firewall but I imagine it'll be fine.