Westpac gives away free security software

Australian Bank "Westpac" new initiative towards security....

Banks offering security software is not exactly a new development, but Westpac's arrangement has an interesting twist: customers can download a free copy of PC Tools' anti-malware, firewall and privacy protection packages. There doesn't seem to be any validation process to confirm if you're a Westpac customer or not, so in effect anyone can get a free copy of these programs.

Westpac, in partnership with online security specialist PC Tools, is offering 12 months free access to the following software products to help keep you secure online. When you download the software, you can choose to purchase an additional 12 months protection upfront, or you can renew the subscription at the end of your free 12 months.

Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus™ (Free for the first 12 months)

Award-winning spyware and virus protection to help secure your PC against privacy, tracking and virus threats. Spyware Doctor is an utility which detects and removes malicious software and spyware. Protect your privacy and computing habits from prying eyes and virtual trespassers with the help of Spyware Doctor.

Privacy Guardian (Free for the first 12 months)

Privacy Guardian helps protect your privacy by ensuring all traces of your online Internet and computer activities are erased and unrecoverable on your PC. Information from every website you visit is stored on your computer and recorded in hidden Windows® locations including temporary files, cookies, system registry and the index.dat file. Privacy Guardian securely cleans the data out of hidden files that may be overlooked by clearing your Web browser.

PC Tools Firewall Plus™ 3.0 for Windows® (Free for the first 12 months)

PC Tools Firewall Plus is a powerful personal firewall Designed for Windows® Vista™, XP, Me, 98 and 2000 that helps protect your computer from intruders and controls the network traffic in and out of your PC. By monitoring applications that connect to the network, Firewall Plus can stop Trojans, backdoors, key-loggers and other malware from damaging your computer and stealing your private information.

So, grab yourself a free copy and protect yourself. Now, this is what we need from banks. Stepping Up! :)