UK Government Launches Free Virus Alert Site

LONDON -- The government of the United Kingdom has taken its fight against online viruses to the front lines with a new Web site called ITsafe, designed to send rapid security alerts to home and small-business computer users.

The free service will be run by the National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre (NISCC). Along with alerts, it offers advice on protecting personal data on both home and work computers, the Home Office announced Wednesday.

The government will use the system to issue official alerts if the NISCC determines that a particular virus, or other security breach, poses a serious enough threat to the public. Based on past experience, the Home Office estimates about six to ten security alerts will be issued each year.

More than half of all UK households have a home computer, with about 13 million of those PCs having Internet access in 2004, the government estimates.

Alerts will be issued only if the NISCC feels there is something users can do to protect themselves from a particular threat, such as updating software to close loopholes or downloading security patches from an antivirus vendor, the Home Office says. The ITsafe site will not supply patches or software.

ITsafe will send alerts by e-mail as well as by text messages over mobile devices to users who sign up for the service.