AS the popularity of broadband access grows it is vital that your PC is protected from virus attacks and hackers.

The beauty of always-on access is that information is at your fingertips. But that is also its Achilles heel.

Hackers can use PCs with broadband connections to steal passwords and use the infected computer to attack other machines on the net.

So it is vital that you have a firewall and virus software that will protect you.

Your own internet provider should give information on its website about the protection on offer.

But you will also turn up a great deal of useful information if you put keywords into Google and take a browse.