A NEW IT security company with a mission to protect e-mail accounts from viruses, junk and pornographic attacks has been launched in Reading.

BlackSpider Technologies, in Thames Valley Park Drive, aims to provide low-cost e-mail security services to companies around the clock.

Chief executive John Cheney said: "The sophistication of modern e-mail security threats and the speed at which they evolve and spread on the internet are demanding a mixture of solutions and new techniques to provide genuinely effective protection."

The company, which launched with a champagne reception on Thursday, is looking for staff.