Virgin Media Essential and Advanced Security

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.

1. Categories lets you block or allow additional site categories such as gambling, weapons, alcohol and tobacco, social media and more.
2. 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.
3. 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.