#1 F-Secure Review in 2024

The Finnish brand F-Secure has been a big player in the cybersecurity industry since 1988. With the ever-evolving landscape of digital threats, I decided it was high time to put F-Secure under scrutiny and see how it holds up in 2024.

Why am I doing this review? Well, let's be honest - there's a lot of noise out there when it comes to antivirus software. I wanted to cut through the marketing hype and give you a real, hands-on look at what F-Secure can (and can't) do.

In this F-Secure review, you'll learn:

  • How well F-Secure protects against malware and ransomware
  • The ins and outs of its VPN service
  • How effective its password manager is
  • Whether its web protection keeps you safe online
  • If it's worth your hard-earned money

So, grab a cup of coffee (or tea, if that's your thing), and let's examine the world of F-Secure!

In a Hurry? Here's a Quick Summary

If you're short on time, here's a brief overview of what I discovered while working on this F-Secure review:

What You'll Like:

  • Strong antivirus protection
  • Fast scanning times
  • Effective web and ransomware protection
  • User-friendly interface
  • Comprehensive protection history

What You May Not Like:

  • Limited VPN server locations
  • Password manager lacks advanced features
  • No file encryption tool
  • Some features only available in higher-tier plans

What Makes This F-Secure Review Different?

You know how some reviews feel like they're just reciting the product's website? Yeah, I'm not a fan of those either. That's why I decided to do things differently.

For this review, I didn't just scratch the surface. I thoroughly investigated, spending a good two weeks with F-Secure on my Dell XPS laptop. I clicked every button, tested every feature, and even tried to break things (don't worry, no computers were harmed in the making of this review).

I've included 18 screenshots throughout this F-Secure review. Why? Because I want you to see exactly what I saw, not just take my word for it.

My goal here is simple: to give you the most honest, thorough, and useful F-Secure review out there. No hype, no sugar-coating, just the real deal.

Buying F-Secure

When it came to purchasing F-Secure, I decided to go all in. I opted for F-Secure Total, their top-tier package that includes all the bells and whistles. Why? Well, I wanted to test everything F-Secure has to offer, and let's be honest, who doesn't like a good deal?

Speaking of deals, F-Secure was offering a sweet 65% discount for the first year on their 1 device, 1-year plan. That's the kind of offer that makes you sit up and take notice.

The buying process was uncomplicated. I clicked the "Buy Now" button, chose my plan, and headed to the checkout page. F-Secure gives you the option to pay by credit card or PayPal - I went with the credit card option.

After completing my purchase, I was prompted to create a My F-Secure account. It was a simple process - just enter an email and password, and there you have it! Your account is ready.

One thing I really liked was the online dashboard. From here, you can manage your subscription, add new devices, and even download the installer. It's like a control center for your F-Secure experience.

Installation

Once I had my account set up, it was time to get F-Secure installed on my laptop. I downloaded the installer from the web dashboard and kicked off the setup process.

The installation was surprisingly quick and easy. I only had one option during the whole process - to change the language. Within 30 seconds, F-Secure was up and running on my system. No need to enter any license key either - my subscription activated automatically as soon as I launched the program.

F-Secure installation processThe installation process was quick and trouble-free

After installation, F-Secure notified me that I needed to install several browser extensions for complete protection. This is a nice touch - it ensures you're fully protected right from the get-go.

Interface

First impressions matter, and F-Secure's interface made a good one. The main window is clean and well-organized, making it easy to find what you're looking for.

At the top, you'll find a menu with shortcuts to the main features, your user account, tasks (security recommendations), and a help section. Just below that, there's a status bar showing your current protection level. If any security feature isn't enabled, it'll show up here - a handy at-a-glance way to ensure you're fully protected.

F-Secure main interfaceF-Secure's main interface is clean and intuitive

The main features I'll discuss in this F-Secure review are Virus & Threats, Password Vault, Privacy VPN, ID Monitoring, Secure Browsing, and People & Devices - are all easily accessible from the main screen. To the right, you'll find a timeline of recent events and protection actions.

One thing I appreciated was the ability to resize the main window. However, if you're a fan of dark mode, you might be disappointed - there's no option to change the theme. But with 30 languages to choose from during installation, F-Secure definitely scores points for accessibility.

Major Features

Next, we’ll explore the essential characteristics of F-Secure. We’ll consider its strengths and how well it aligns with your desired level of protection.

Web Protection

In today's digital world, web protection is crucial. F-Secure doesn't disappoint in this department. You can access all web protection options through the Secure Browsing module in the main UI.

F-Secure web protection optionsF-Secure offers comprehensive web protection settings

One of the standout features is the browser extension. It evaluates the safety of websites you visit and prevents you from accidentally accessing harmful sites. It even displays safety ratings on search results pages for popular search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo. Plus, it comes with ad-blocking capabilities.

F-Secure browser extensionThe browser extension provides real-time website safety information

To put F-Secure's web protection to the test, I visited several known malicious websites. The results were impressive:

F-Secure blocking malicious websiteF-Secure successfully blocked access to a known malicious website

F-Secure also offers some additional web protection features that I found quite useful:

  • Banking protection: This adds an extra layer of security for online banking and other confidential transactions.
  • Trusted shopping: This feature makes online shopping safer by alerting you to fake or untrustworthy websites.
  • Ad blocker: This blocks advertising content, making it harder for websites to track you and improving your browsing experience.

All these features can be easily configured in the settings, giving you control over your online security.

Scan

F-Secure's scanning capabilities are centralized in the Viruses & Threats window. Here, you can see a summary of real-time scanning activities and access various scanning tools.

F-Secure scan optionsF-Secure offers various scanning options to keep your system secure

Quick Scan

The quick scan focuses on the most common locations where viruses are typically found, including your document folders and installed applications.

F-Secure quick scan resultsQuick scan completed in less than 30 seconds

In my F-Secure review tests, the quick scan took just 28 seconds, scanning 12,617 files without detecting any threats - including malware, spyware, trojans, and adware. That's impressively fast!

Full Scan

The full scan is more comprehensive, checking all internal and external hard drives for viruses, spyware, and potentially unwanted applications.

F-Secure full scan resultsFull scan detected 3 threats in about 20 minutes

My full scan took about 20 minutes, scanning 163,011 files and detecting 3 threats. However, when I chose to clean these threats, F-Secure said they couldn't be cleaned without specifying a reason. This was a bit frustrating and could be more transparent.

Scheduled Scan

F-Secure allows you to set up scheduled scans, which is great for maintaining regular system checks without having to remember to do it manually.

F-Secure scheduled scan settingsYou can easily set up scheduled scans to automate your security

You can choose how often to scan (daily, weekly, or monthly), set the start time, scan priority, types of files to scan, and whether to scan inside archives. This level of customization is really nice to see.

Ransomware Protection

Ransomware is a growing threat, and F-Secure takes it seriously. Their ransomware protection feature is available in the Virus & Threats > App and File Control > Protected section.

To test its effectiveness, I used a ransomware simulator. F-Secure successfully stopped 15 out of 22 ransomware simulation scenarios. While not perfect, this is actually on par with the industry average, which is pretty good. Top antivirus alternatives like McAfee and Kaspersky scored a little bit better in the ransomware protection department.

VPN

F-Secure's VPN service, called Privacy VPN, is designed to protect your online privacy by blocking tracking attempts from HTTP traffic. It allows you to browse anonymously and undisturbed.

F-Secure VPN interfaceF-Secure's VPN interface is clean and easy to use

The VPN comes with several useful features:

  • VPN bypass: Allows you to select applications that can connect directly to the internet.
  • Trusted networks: You can mark your current network as trusted to allow connections to other devices within the same network while VPN is on.
  • Tracking protection: Ensures your privacy while browsing, though you may need to switch it off for some apps or websites to work properly.
  • Killswitch: Cuts off internet access if the VPN connection drops.
  • Protocol selection: You can choose which VPN protocol to use.
F-Secure VPN settingsF-Secure's VPN offers various customization options

For this F-Secure review I tested the VPN speeds using fast.com, and here are the results:

  • No VPN (Romania): 510 Mbps download, 270 Mbps upload, 12 ms latency
  • Poland: 210 Mbps download, 300 Mbps upload, 56 ms latency
  • USA Northwest: 39 Mbps download, 260 Mbps upload, 252 ms latency
  • Japan: 18 Mbps download, 160 Mbps upload, 360 ms latency

The speeds are decent, especially for nearby servers, but they do drop significantly for more distant locations. One downside is the limited number of server locations - only 32 countries are available.

In terms of privacy, F-Secure's VPN passed both the IP leak test (ipleak.net) and the DNS leak test (perfect-privacy.com), which is great news for privacy-conscious users.

Password Manager

F-Secure's Password Manager, called Password Vault, allows you to create strong, unique passwords and sync them across all your devices.

F-Secure Password Manager interfaceF-Secure's Password Vault offers a clean, user-friendly interface

Before you can use the manager, you need to create a master password. Make sure it's strong but memorable - if you forget it, the only way to recover access is through a recovery QR code that you must create in advance.

The Password Manager offers several handy features:

  • Add New Entry: You can add new accounts or credit card details.
  • Connect Devices: Sync your passwords across all your devices.
  • Password Analysis: Assess the strength of your passwords.
  • Autofill: Automatically insert your login details when visiting websites.
  • Lock: Manually lock the Password Vault or set it to auto-lock after 5 minutes.
F-Secure Password Manager settingsPassword Vault offers various settings to customize your experience

The settings allow you to change the automatic lock time, change the master password, create a recovery QR code, and import or export passwords.

F-Secure Password Manager additional settingsAdditional settings in the Password Vault

While the Password Manager covers the basics well, it lacks some advanced features found in dedicated password manager solutions. However, for most users, it should be more than sufficient.

ID Monitoring

ID Monitoring is a feature that allows you to monitor your personal information for potential data breaches. You can add up to 10 items per type (email addresses, payment cards, phone numbers, etc.) for monitoring.

F-Secure ID Monitoring interfaceF-Secure's ID Monitoring helps you keep track of your personal information

If your information appears in a data breach, F-Secure will send you a notification email. This email includes details about what information was compromised, when the breach occurred, and what company was breached.

F-Secure ID Monitoring settingsYou can add various types of personal information for monitoring

To start using ID Monitoring, you first need to add an email address. After that, you can add other types of information like credit card numbers, phone numbers, and more.

Gaming Mode

F-Secure includes a Gaming Mode, which automatically stops all scheduled scans and database updates when you're running a game. This ensures the best possible performance during your gaming sessions.

You can enable /disable Gaming Mode in the Scanning settings. It's a nice touch for gamers who don't want their gameplay interrupted by antivirus activities.

Protection History / Timeline

F-Secure provides a thorough event history, allowing you to see how the product has protected your computer. You can access this timeline by clicking on it in the right side of the main UI.

F-Secure protection historyThe protection history gives you a clear overview of F-Secure's activities

The event history shows various events related to the product and details of the protective measures taken. It includes information about detected harmful items, whether they were cleaned or isolated, and other security-related events.

For each event, you can see the time and description. Depending on the type of event, you might find additional details in the "More" column. For harmful files, for example, you'll see when it was found, the name of the malware, its location on your computer, and the action taken.

This feature gives you a clear picture of how F-Secure is working to protect your system, which I found quite reassuring.

System Performance Impact

One concern many people have about antivirus software is its impact on system performance. I'm happy to report that F-Secure performs quite well in this regard.

While running a full scan, F-Secure consumed about 10% CPU power and 250 MB of RAM. This is actually below the average CPU usage of 25% and below the average RAM consumption of 300 MB that I've seen in other antivirus products.

This means you can run F-Secure in the background without noticing significant slowdowns in your day-to-day computer use. It's a good balance between protection and performance.

F-Secure Review: Key Takeaways

After spending substantial time with F-Secure, I can say it's a solid cybersecurity solution. Here are my final thoughts for this F-Secure review:

  1. F-Secure's antimalware engine is accurate and effective. It detected almost all threats I threw at it, providing strong protection against various types of malware.
  2. The scanning process is impressively quick. Both quick and full scans completed faster than many competitors I've tested.
  3. Web protection and ransomware shield are effective, blocking malicious websites and potential ransomware attacks.
  4. The VPN, while not the fastest I've seen, provides good speeds and passes important privacy tests. However, the limited number of server locations might be a disadvantage for some users.
  5. The password manager is reliable and comes with some nice safety features, like using a security code before accessing the browser extension.
  6. I particularly liked the protection history feature, which gives a clear, user-friendly overview of F-Secure's activities.
  7. The system performance impact is lower than average, which is a significant plus.

While F-Secure might not have every feature under the sun (like file encryption), it shines at its core function: keeping your device secure. Its user-friendly interface and effective performance make it a strong option in the cybersecurity market.

If you're looking for a refined, effective antivirus solution that won't slow down your system, F-Secure is definitely worth considering. Considering other antivirus options? Norton, TotalAV, and Bitdefender are well-regarded. Don’t miss our best antivirus guide for 2024.

Octav Fedor (Cybersecurity Editor)

Octav is a cybersecurity researcher and writer at AntivirusGuide. When he’s not publishing his honest opinions about security software online, he likes to learn about programming, watch astronomy documentaries, and participate in general knowledge competitions.