F-Secure Antivirus Review
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What Is F-Secure?
Due to its long history—more than 30 years—F-Secure is a well-known name in computer security.
All of F-Secure’s solutions, which are intended for both individuals and businesses, are combined into the TOTAL security package. It includes cross-device security, an antivirus program, and a VPN service. F-Secure’s internet security service also continually guards your browser.
In the area of exploitation malware detection, F-Secure antivirus stands out because of its speed and ability. It also provides some of the best parental controls out there.
Examining each of the features given below.
Features of F-Secure
The best antivirus software for Mac and Windows is F-Secure, which will keep you safe online. The two operating systems are identical in terms of functionality, despite the fact that Windows 10 was utilized for testing. What we found is shown below.
Antivirus Scanner by F-Secure
The primary scanning tool used to check your computer for malware, computer viruses, and other dangers is this scanner. These risks include:
- Ransomware
- horses for hire
- Spyware
- Malware
- rootkits
- worms
Malware is frequently found, and scanning is finished promptly. It makes more demands on the system’s performance than other well-known antimalware programs, although this shouldn’t be a problem for modern systems.
Customer reviews of F-Secure, however, praise this functionality. Although F-Secure advertises itself as a tool that detects harmful software, it actually works just like any other antivirus application. Since it consistently identified our infected software during our tests, it looks to be functional.
One of the scanning options is a full “virus scan.” The disks and folders you select to target, on the other hand, are up to you.
Online scanner for F-Secure
F-Secure anti-virus SAFE regularly checks for potential hazards as you browse the web.
Multi-layer security checks pages as they load for potentially hazardous websites and content. Furthermore, it quickly finds any dangerous downloads.
Real-time anti-phishing software compares the URLs of well-known phishing sites. We were very delighted with Google’s use of color-coding in search results to warn you about potentially dangerous websites.
The safety also extends to secure online banking and shopping. F-Secure adds a layer of protection and can recognize trustworthy websites whenever you enter your account or make a payment.
F-Secure SAFE also has a feature for optimizing streaming and gaming. You won’t be bothered by alerts if full screen is selected. Any hazards will be made known to you as soon as you exit a game or video. It also guarantees that it won’t consume resources throughout your gaming or streaming sessions.
Parental Control
F-Secure has outstanding parental controls. Through the application or the internet, they may be managed remotely.
Various devices can be used with a range of settings based on the subscription. It is possible, for instance, to drastically restrict a young child’s activities while employing a different approach with a teenager.
Its setup involves checking several boxes for questionable items including marijuana, gambling, and guns. You may also talk about things like Internet shopping and social networking. The whitelist and blacklist, however, provide you with more control over certain websites.
Like all previous approaches, some websites are able to get through parental control systems. F-Secure, however, is one of the more dependable solutions we’ve tested.
Another helpful strategy is setting a daily internet time limit for your child. When the limit is reached, the application immediately stops any additional action.
Firewall F-Secure
Firewalls are essential for overall cybersecurity because they monitor and block connections based on predefined criteria. For instance, if a piece of software tries to send information to you over the internet without your consent, it will be found out.
F-Secure works with Windows’ built-in privacy firewall and lets you make several profiles for specific websites.
Keep in mind that this location doesn’t have a lot of capability. It largely takes advantage of the essential traits of the Windows Firewall, which have drastically changed over time. F-Secure’s user interface is friendlier than that of its own firewall monitor.
ID Protection
All internet users should be particularly concerned about ID protection in view of the surge in online fraud and other types of cybercrime.
The first feature of F-Secure is a password manager that stores all of your login information centrally and securely. A password that is not secure will alert you. If so, you may make a strong one in its stead. Unfortunately, Safari browser users can’t utilize it because it isn’t integrated with it.
It’s not really innovative because password management is already a feature of certain browsers, including Chrome. However, identity monitoring is where F-Secure antivirus really shines.
Once you enter your email address, it is tracked online, and the computer system will let you know if it is ever used in a breach of data. The mainstream and underground web are both being watched. After all, the worst online crimes take place on the latter.
The program is interactive in this part. You are kept informed when your data is accessed thanks to a notice. You will instead receive guidance on how to lessen the damage, update your passwords, and complete identity protection.
You may manage ID Protection using your PC or the F-Secure mobile applications.
FRIENDLY VPN
Using a built-in VPN service is an excellent way to protect your online privacy and improve your security. The F-Secure brand offers FREEDOM, which is easy to use.
You essentially just turn it on and off. Because there are so many different server locations, Netflix users can choose to bypass geo-restrictions.
However, the inconsistent speeds are negative. The bulk of tasks, including streaming films, can be completed, but your network’s regular peak speed is not yet been attained. If you live in a big house, it can be more work than it’s worth.
The best course of action is to carry out your own investigation because results will differ based on geographic location. Just use it when absolutely essential or switch to a different VPN service if the connection is a little shaky.
Mac antivirus program F-Secure
F-Secure’s Mac application has drawn mixed reviews. Some Mac users bemoan how difficult the interface is to use and how similar it is to Windows. Fortunately, all of the crucial features are supported.
Functionality-wise, everything is OK.
Mobile Security with F-Secure
In our mobile F-Secure study, we looked at the app on both Android and iPhone. As said, it is designed to enable cross-platform malware protection. Each license supports from 3 to 7 devices, including a combination of Computers and mobile devices.
Even if the smartphone version is always smaller and easier to use, we were happy to see that there are other solutions for mobile security.
When you open the app, you see the following main icons:
- Your mobile device is subject to a virus scan to look for live threats.
- Applications with known or prospective privacy problems are listed under Application Privacy.
- Websites, programs, and browsing times are restricted under parental supervision.
- To activate a real-time malware defense, enable Safe Browsing. For complete internet surfing security, there is even a separate browser software option.
- Bank Protection guarantees that you are visiting a reputable banking website.
We did found it cumbersome since the VPN feature and ID protection were separate applications. They might still share one user interface despite how simple they are to set up and operate.
Free Web Scanner from F-Secure
A good free feature is the online scan offered by F-Secure. You may use it to download tiny.exe software which links to the cloud & scans your computer from a distance.
Its main goal is to take control of compromised computers that could be the target of sophisticated spyware that prohibits accessibility to the previously loaded antivirus software. Currently, it is only available to Windows users.
For the evaluation of the F-Secure online scanner, we used an infected test machine. It efficiently found and got rid of malware and viruses. Unfortunately, if harmful malware has taken over your ability to browse the web, you won’t be able to run the web scanner unless you are able to copy the.exe from a virus-free system using a pen drive.
Interface and Usability
F-Secure isn’t so much a suite as it is three separate products with one online account. This is not a deal-breaker, though, because they are all user-friendly.
Regular virus checks and online risk assessment are both possible with SAFE. ID Protection is in charge of handling password management and ID security, and the VPN program’s name is FREEDOM.
When you first run F-Secure SAFE, you will be prompted to activate the safe browsing plugin in order to detect online risks. The UI is dominated by three tabs: Scanning, Secure Browsing, and People & Devices. With the latter, you can manage your gadgets and adjust parental restrictions.
Using the “deeper settings” option, you may additionally configure the following:
Ransomware defense: Monitors suspicious activity in folders.
DeepGuard actively scans the program for suspicious background activity when it cannot be found. Software is compared to reputable sources.
scanning web traffic: Prevents downloading of hazardous items.
Every parameter is documented, thus using the software shouldn’t be an issue for anyone. The software is very inconspicuous and won’t keep interrupting your work.
Similar ease of use applies to ID Protection. You will be requested to activate autocomplete forms right away. You may then create a master password to gain access to your password vault. When you forget this password, they provide you with a recovery code file. This has to be stored on a retractable pen drive.
There are sections for the Vault, Monitoring (which analyzes your data for security holes), and Password Analysis.
We have found this software package to be quite user-friendly, and a collection of other customers’ F-Secure assessments supports this.
Secure by F-Secure
So, F-Secure is trustworthy.
The AV-Test findings speak for themselves. This impartial group consistently tests, rates, and updates all antivirus software.
F-Secure scored 99.3% in March 2021, exceeding the industry standard for preventing the use of zero-day malware. But in April, it increased to a consoling 100%, strengthening its position.
It obtained the highest possible rating in the months of March and April for “detection of extensive malware discovered in the past four weeks.”
It has maintained top ratings for a number of months and is comparable to well-known applications such as Avast and AVG in regards to pure security abilities. When evaluated for performance, usability, and security, F-Secure and Avast are now tied.
F-Secure Assistance
Detailed help pages are available for every F-Secure feature. It walks you through installation, setup, and subscriptions. For common problems, there are also FAQs and advice.
If your topic isn’t urgent, you may use the forums to seek help from other users or the staff. You may also search the archives to see if your problem has already been handled.
Direct help is available over the phone and through live chat from 9 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday.
In the course of our review of F-Secure, we used online chat to offer a test question, and we received an acceptable response right away. F-Secure is normally dependable, but if something goes wrong, help is more than enough.
F-Secure Cost
The three components may be bought individually or as part of the F-Secure TOTAL package. It includes security from SAFE, FREEDOME VPN, and F-Secure ID. Unquestionably, purchasing the bundle is the most economical option:
- Three devices, $39.99 annually
- Five devices, $49.99 annually
- Seven devices, $59.99 annually
The 30-day F-Secure trial may be used by creating an account using your email address; no payment information is required.
Conclusion
Modern security software that functions on both your phone and computer is called F-Secure. It accomplishes this together using a single internet account.
Scanning efficiently and quickly detects the most recent malware and virus threats. Additionally, it has a ton of features for identity protection and secures browsing that will safeguard you from online dangers like phishing.
No matter the device, it is very easy to use, and its parental controls are better than those of the competitors.
Despite the fact that the application doesn’t have many flaws, reviews of F-Secure typically bring attention to this one problem. Instead of employing many programs and apps, the company may consolidate these operations under a single interface. The preservation of system resources may also be enhanced.
F-Secure is an excellent security tool for Mac, Windows, and mobile devices all things considered.
