U.K. bank discounts antivirus tool for customers

British-based Barclays Bank is urging customers of its online service to download security software, which is provided as part of a tie-up with Finnish antivirus vendor F-Secure. The tools available to download on the online banking site include anti-spyware protection and rootkit detection as well as a traditional antivirus product.

The bank will charge customers 17 pounds ($30) for the antivirus protection, or 28 pounds ($49) for the more comprehensive package--approximately a 30 percent discount on the U.K. retail price. Many proponents of such an offering argue that banks could actually absorb the costs of a 100 percent subsidy by virtue of the savings they would make from reimbursing losses that result from digital identity theft.

Will Sturgeon of Silicon.com reported from London. For the full story, click here.

[kgh120]

Why is it always F-secure??

My cable company in canada did the same offer. I tried F-secure (replacing symantec) and it lasted about 2 weeks before I pulled it off of my 3 home PCs.

F-secure is a MAJOR resource hog and made my systems so unstable, they were dangerous to use.

I wound up uninstalling and buying Symantec 2005 3 user pack. Its also a resource pig but at least it isn't crashing my computers (as much ; ))

I guess F-secure is signing these deals so that they don't have to deal directly with trying to market to real customers who actually want their security suite to work.