Virgin Media Essential and Advanced Security
Stay safe online with Essential Security, built into your WiFi network and included as standard in all our broadband packages, or upgrade to Advanced Security for total peace of mind
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Essential Security
Browse to the max, knowing we’ve got your backs with Essential Security.
Free of charge and included as standard with all our broadband packages, Essential Security is always on guard, picking up scam websites and warning you before your devices are exposed to anything malicious. The best bit? It’s built into your home’s WiFi network and it’s automatically activated when you join us, so you don’t need to lift a finger.
Take a look at our top-selling broadband packages for super-reliable broadband that’ll keep you safe online.
Here's what you can get at your home
Manage your security settings
Once your broadband’s up and running, you can manage your security settings by heading to your My Virgin Media account and going to Account Settings > Online Security.
For more information about managing your security settings, visit our Essential Security help page.
Get a 3-month free trial of Advanced Security
Get our most advanced security offering free for 3 months, then pay just £3 a month (or £30 a year).
Advanced Security protects all your devices wherever you are in the world, allowing you to browse, buy and bank with confidence knowing you’re protected by our watertight anti-virus security, even on third-party apps.
Sign up today in your My Virgin Media account for a no-commitment 3-month trial.
FAQs
Essential Security blocks access to harmful websites, such as scam or phishing websites and those with viruses.
It also gives you control over the content you want seen in your home by letting the account holder restrict access to unsuitable content such as pornography, hate, crime, drugs, violence, self-harm or suicide. You can customise your settings for your family by specifying the categories, websites or times you want to filter.
Essential Security lets you block sites that you consider unsuitable for your family or children. When you activate parental controls, the following websites categories will always be blocked: Pornography, Child Abuse, Violence, Crime, Hate, Drugs, Hacking, Suicide and Self-harm, Address Hiding. You can customise your settings by clicking on the Categories, Sites or Timer filters on your account.
From here, you can select the level of protection you need.
- Categories lets you block or allow additional site categories such as gambling, weapons, alcohol and tobacco, social media and more.
- Sites lets you tell us which websites you want to allow as an exception to a blocked site category. You can also use this to block specific websites you feel are unsuitable.
- Timer puts you in control of when you want Essential Security to be active. Set the date and time you wish to deactivate it. Any category or site restrictions will be temporarily suspended within that time frame.
When you choose to block a site, or when your timer reactivates your block settings, you may have to restart your device before the site or category is blocked.
To see a breakdown of the site categories, please visit parental controls for internet use.
Our online security measures help give your family the digital freedom to explore, develop, progress and play online, within the boundaries you choose to set.
We understand the concern that can come from allowing your child to use the internet, which is why we put together some top tips for mums and dads. Browse the helpful resources we have available, including Switched on Families – an online platform and interactive guide to keep parents informed and confident about their choices for managing their home internet.
Essential Security will block HTTPS websites if they fall in your blocked websites list or if the related website category is blocked.
When an HTTPS site is blocked, you will receive a normal browser error message saying it can’t connect to the webpage, instead of our Essential Security blocked message. For example, if a social networking site is blocked on your Essential Security settings, then any secure link associated with a social media site will take you to an error page.
You won’t need to block the HTTPS version of a site if you’ve already chosen to block the main site through your Essential Security settings.
Yes. As well as providing protection for all the devices on your home network 24/7, Essential Security is automatically updated. While this provides the most effective protection, it’s not possible to guarantee 100% protection due to the ever-changing nature of internet threats.
Advanced Security is a step-up from Essential Security. Essential Security works with any device connected to your home network, to block scam websites, those with viruses or sites with unsuitable content. Advanced Security works by scanning your device for all kinds of viruses, spyware and other shady files that can creep onto your devices, and wipes them out at the touch of a button. Advanced Security also offers parental controls that can be customised for each child, as well as online banking protection – all manged via an easy-to-use app. See Advanced Security for more details.
It’s important to remember that Essential Security protects all your devices connected to your home network, but only while connected to your home network. On the other hand, Advanced Security protects the device it’s installed on, wherever you are in the world. For all-round protection, we recommend using Advanced Security and Essential Security.
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The legal stuff
*Monthly price of Virgin Media’s main services and O2 Airtime Plan will increase each April from April 2025 by the Retail Price Index rate of inflation announced in February each year plus 3.9%. Doesn’t apply to any add-ons you may have selected, out-of-bundle charges or admin costs, which may increase separately. See www.virginmedia.com/prices and www.o2.co.uk/prices for details.
3 Months Free
New customers. Virgin Fibre areas. Subject to credit check. 18 month contract. Select packages. No setup fee, online only. Ends 8th Dec. Terms apply.
GWS network award comparing major UK providers average performance scores (including speed & reliability). Verify at: virginmedia.com/legal/awards. User speed depends on package choice.
Disney+ Standard Plan
Get 3 months on us (“Offer Period”). You’ll be automatically opted in to a paid monthly subscription of Disney+ Standard Plan of £8.99pm after Offer Period. Cancel Disney+ plan at any time by calling Virgin Media or within 30 days of the end of your Offer Period through your MyVM app. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. Charges applied to your Virgin Media bill & are subject to change. Eligibility: new or recontracting customers taking a Virgin Media broadband service on an 18-month contract, excludes Essential broadband. Must activate Disney+ within 14 days of receiving confirmation email. Must set up Disney+ account & agree to its terms of use. Cannot benefit from more than one offer period. Unless otherwise communicated to you, redeeming Disney+ through Virgin Media will not automatically cancel or suspend any Disney+ subscription offered directly by Disney or through another third party. It’s your responsibility to manage direct or third party subscriptions. © 2024 Disney and its related entities. Virgin Media service eligibility criteria applies which includes being a UK resident, 18+. See full terms here.
No setup fee
This promotion means you won’t pay the usual setup fee of £35. No setup fee is available on all bundles, broadband & phone, and broadband only packages. If you can set up using a Self-Install pack, but choose to use an engineer for the installation, you’ll still be charged £30 for this service.
These prices are for new customers only.
Virgin Media services are only available in eligible Virgin Media network areas. Virgin TV 360 and, for the time being, home phone are not available in new network expansion areas.
All of the products on this page are subject to survey, network capacity and a credit check.
Each service has a minimum contract length that’s shown in your basket.
If you take a bundle with both Virgin Media and O2, you’ll have separate contracts and bills – one for Virgin Media, and another for O2.
- Offers are subject to eligibility and availability.
- Read the terms on the Priority app or at o2.co.uk/terms
Get fast, reliable WiFi gliding through every room or money back
Eligible Virgin Fibre areas only. WiFi Guarantee available with M50 broadband or faster. £8p/m extra or included with Gig1, Gig2 or Volt. At least 30Mbps download speeds in every room or £100 one-off credit. Up to 3 WiFi Pods if needed. Exclusions & legal stuff apply.
†To verify, see: https://www.virginmedia.com/legal/awards. Best Broadband Experience Award: GWS network award based on national tests Dec ’23-May ’24 comparing major UK providers’ average scores in respect of speed, reliability, latency, packet loss & video streaming. User speed depends on broadband package choice. Virgin Fibre areas only. Best Combined Connectivity Experience: based on GWS test results Dec '23-May '24 comparing data connectivity performance of major UK mobile operators and their associated ISP partners to form a combined score across both mobile network and WiFi experience. Best in Test: based on umlaut Fixed Broadband Benchmark 2023 comparing major UK ISPs on download speed, upload speed, latency and stability. Uswitch Most Popular Broadband Provider: based on Uswitch consumer research Dec 2022 - Jan 2023 conducted by Opinium comparing broadband sales volumes and overall customer satisfaction of major UK ISP operators, split equally to form a combined score.