F-Secure Internet Security 2008 review

F-Secure Internet Security offers a full set of anti-virus, firewall, anti-spam and anti-spyware capabilities.

Compared to some better known suites, it uses fewer system resources, and we really noticed this in practice. After installation, our modestly specified test PC showed virtually no signs of slowing down.

We were similarly impressed with the fast, no-fuss installation process, which asks you which features you want to enable when you start up the software for the first time, as opposed to activating everything by default. Parental controls don't even need to be installed if you have no use for them, for example. This reduces the time it takes to configure the suite. Enabling or disabling features later on is a simple matter of a few clicks, with none of the endless pop-up warnings that plague users of the popular security suites. We were pleased to see that F-Secure went about protecting our PC quietly, without disturbing us too often.

F-Secure's main control panel is logically divided into five tabbed sections, which makes it easy to navigate and use. The firewall, or 'Internet Shield', can be quickly configured by selecting a profile which contains access permissions for common applications such as web browsers and email clients. The Strict profile, for example, denies all inbound access to your PC but allows all outbound connections. You can also control each application's internet access individually.

We tested F-Secure's capabilities by infecting a test PC with a selection of recent viruses and malware. It found them all, but couldn't entirely remove the Bagle worm without an additional download from the F-Secure website. It wasn't entirely clear which patch was needed, which could confuse the inexperienced user. That wouldn't be a major concern, as the worm was quarantined safely, but this took quite some time.

The reliability of F-Secure's anti-virus component is reflected in the scores it gets from independent anti-virus testing labs. AV-Comparatives has given F-Secure its highest award for the on-demand virus scanning. It's also won the VB100% award from Virus Bulletin for many years in a row, meaning it found 100% of the virus samples in that test. The Anti-Spam feature was effective in intercepting phishing emails and common types of spam.

Scan and deliver

Back to our own tests, and F-Secure's scanning speeds were impressive. A 'quick' system virus scan was completed in five minutes, and the equivalent spyware scan took only a few minutes too. Both can be configured as 'on access', so they continuously scan your hard drive; on demand, which means they run when you request a scan; or on schedule. The suite uses its own DeepGuard technology to distinguish between 'good' and 'bad' programs based on their behaviour. We found this effective in reducing the number of 'new program' alerts, but when unknown programs were found, it failed to advise us of the best course of action.

The parental controls allow you to create both Child and Teenager profiles, each with individual passwords. You can set limits on Internet access hours, the type of websites that can be accessed, or both. During testing, the former control was more effective than the latter. We found it possible to get to certain website categories, despite having added them to the blocked list. Sites containing hate material were much easier to access than sexually explicit or gambling sites, for example.

As a simple, effective security suite, F-Secure is great value considering your £24 (for a year's licence) covers installation on up to three PCs.

Author: Andy Zarkesh