Delving into the settings revealed a button to install the Firefox extension and instructions for reinstalling the extension in Chrome and Microsoft Edge.įor families finding suitable parental controls is a tough business. But if a keylogger or malicious screen capture tool did manage to evade detection prior to you opening your bank’s website, there’s the potential it can deliver your credentials to the bad guys when the internet connection is restored.Īnother issue with web protection is that the green tick appeared after enabling the extension only in Chrome: other browsers remained unprotected. F-Secure says it prevents untrusted apps from connecting to the internet while you’re using your banking site or paying for goods, and stops you visiting unsafe websites. Instead of launching a special web browser as many other security suites do, F-Secure stops ‘untrusted apps’ as well as disabling scripting and command-line tools, and clearing the clipboard.Ī dedicated browser, such as Bitdefender’s SafePay, seems to us a better way to protect financial transactions, whether using your bank’s website or paying for goods on websites.
Protection from ransomware is very similar to what Windows 10 has as standard, using Protected Folders to stop apps from altering any files in folders you choose.Īs part of Secure Browsing, Banking Protection works in an unusual way. Maybe you don’t want all those, and F-Secure could be a good choice if you’re just after the basics, but it’s worth knowing the differences. You don’t the extra tools that most rivals offer such as file shredders and performance optimisers either. There’s no firewall, no spam filtering and no monitoring for unauthorised use of your webcam or microphone. Initially it looks there’s plenty of protection, but compared to rivals, it’s actually quite basic. There are also sections for Secure Browsing, Scanning settings, Updates, Privacy and Support. On the left are shortcuts to parental controls, tools and My F-Secure which is essentially a link to the website where you can manage the devices being protected and your subscription.Ĭlicking the virus Settings link opens what looks like the Windows 10 Settings app where you can see the malware features including DeepGuard, Ransomware Protection and Web traffic scanning.
A full scan can only be run in the settings, where you can also schedule a regular full scan time. There’s also a prominent button to run a quick scan for viruses, and a Settings link. Once you’ve enabled the Chrome extension, you’ll see three green ticks which reassure you that your computer is protected. Starting with the positives, the interface is friendly and easy to understand. Scroll down to find out how much they cost. The top offering is F-Secure TOTAL, which bundles the separate VPN (Freedome) and ID protection services (including a password manager) onto SAFE. Anti-Virus is cheaper and offers basic protection, with SAFE adding extra layers including URL filtering (to protect you from visiting dangerous websites), basic parental controls and apps for Android, iOS and macOS. Features & Usabilityīefore we dive in, it’s worth knowing that SAFE is the ‘medium’ option from F-Secure. Since then, it has made various improvements and tweaks here and there but it's not really much different overall.
We last looked at its antivirus software a couple of years ago and weren’t overly impressed. F-Secure is a Finnish security company that has been around for 30 years.