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F-Secure

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F-Secure Corporation
Company typePublic
Nasdaq Helsinki: FSC1V
IndustryComputer
Founded1988 (as Data Fellows)
1999 (as F-Secure)
FounderPetri Allas and Risto Siilasmaa
HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
Key people
Products
  • F-Secure SAFE
  • F-Secure Freedome
  • F-Secure Booster
  • F-Secure KEY
  • F-Secure Search
  • F-Secure Internet Security
  • F-Secure Anti-Virus for PC and Mac
  • F-Secure Online Scanner
  • F-Secure App Permissions
  • F-Secure Mobile Security
  • F-Secure Buddy
  • F-Secure Linux Security
  • F-Secure Internet Gatekeeper for Linux
  • F-Secure Mobile Security for Business
  • F-Secure Protection Service for Business
  • F-Secure Business Suite
  • F-Secure Anti-Virus for Servers
  • F-Secure Policy Manager
  • F-Secure Protection Service for Email
  • F-Secure Client Security
  • F-Secure Protection for consumers
  • F-Secure Protection for business
  • F-Secure Protection for mobile
  • F-Secure Content Enabler
  • F-Secure Content Anywhere
RevenueDecrease €155.1 million (2013)[2]
Increase €27.1 million (2013)[2]
Increase €16.5 million (2013)[2]
Number of employees
949 (2013)[2]
Websitewww.f-secure.com
Company offices in Helsinki, Finland

F-Secure Corporation (formerly Data Fellows) is an cyber security and privacy company based in Helsinki, Finland. The company has 20 country offices and a presence in more than 100 countries, with Security Lab operations in Helsinki, Finland and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Through more than 200 operator partners globally, millions of broadband customer use F-Secure services. F-Secure Corp. is publicly traded on the Helsinki Stock Exchange under the symbol FSC1V.

F-Secure claims that it was the first antivirus vendor to establish a presence on the World Wide Web. The F-Secure Labs weblog[3] tracks global internet and mobile security threats.

F-Secure has been listed twice, 2003 and 2006, on "Finland's best places to work" list published by Great Place to Work® Institute, Inc.[4] Technology Academy of Finland named Pirkka Palomäki, F-Secure's Chief Technology Officer, as CTO of the Year 2011.[5]

History

F-Secure was first established under the name Data Fellows by Petri Allas and Risto Siilasmaa in 1988. Data Fellows trained computer users and built customized databases. Three years later, the company launched its first major software project and developed the first heuristic scanner for antivirus products. F-Secure’ first antivirus product for Windows PCs was launched in 1994. Data Fellows became F-Secure in 1999. F-Secure was the first company that developed an anti-rootkit technology called BlackLight in 2005.[citation needed]

In July 2009, F-Secure purchased Steek, a French company specialized in online file storage and backup services for consumers.[6]

F-Secure Internet Security received the product of the year award in 2010 from AV-Comparatives, as it got the least false alarms (2). This put F-Secure ahead of Panda Security (98) and other anti-virus companies.[7]

F-Secure Client Security received the Best Protection 2011 award in 2012 from AV-TEST, an independent testing organization that evaluated 2011 7 corporate protection products, and the results are based on all of the certifications tests made in 2011.[8]

Products

The current line of home-user products from F-Secure includes F-Secure Internet Security, F-Secure SAFE, F-Secure Anti-Virus, F-Secure Anti-Virus for Mac, F-Secure Search, F-Secure KEY, F-Secure Booster and F-Secure Freedome.

F-Secure’s business products include F-Secure Protection Service, F-Secure Business Suite, F-Secure Client Security, F-Secure Anti-Virus for Servers, F-Secure Linux Security, F-Secure Internet Gatekeeper for Linux, F-Secure Protection Service for Email, F-Secure Policy Manager, F-Secure Mobile Security for Business, F-Secure Messaging Security Gateway and F-Secure for Exchange.

White-labeled versions of F-Secure’s security software are also available through operators around the world via monthly or yearly subscription plans. F-Secure is the global leader in providing software as a service through operators with over 200 operator partners worldwide including AT&T, Vodafone and Telefónica.

Technology

F-Secure has OEM agreements with several security vendors to integrate detection technology engines in its own offerings.

DeepGuard, now in its 5.0 incarnation, is an F-Secure in-house developed HIPS or advanced system monitoring technology, which detects new or unknown malware intrusions based on unusual, suspicious changes in the Windows system and automatically blocks processes caught in the act. DeepGuard is not available on the Linux or Mac OS products.

In July 2009 F-Secure bought French company Steek SA which provides software for online storage and data management solutions to fixed line and mobile operators. Steek SA is being fully integrated into F-Secure as the Storage and Digital Content business unit.

Academia

In co-operation with Aalto University School of Science and Technology, F-Secure runs a one semester course for future virus analysts, with some material available on-line.[9]

Controversies

Policy on detecting government spying programs

After the media coverage of Magic Lantern (software) and claims by some AV vendors to purposefully leave a backdoor for it in their products, F-Secure announced their policy on detecting these spying programs:

"F-Secure Corporation would like to make known that we will not leave such backdoors to our F-Secure Anti-Virus products, regardless of the source of such tools. We have to draw a line with every sample we get regarding whether to detect it or not. This decision-making is influenced only by technical factors, and nothing else, but within the applicable laws and regulations, in our case meaning EU laws.

We will also be adding detection of any program we see that might be used for terrorist activity or to benefit organized crime. We would like to state this for the record, as we have received queries regarding whether we would have the guts to detect something obviously made by a known violent mafia or terrorist organization. Yes we would."[10]

Security flaws

A report in the July 30, 2014 edition of the UK Inquire stated a researcher had uncovered exploitable security flaws in several major antivirus systems including F-Secure.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Ranger, Steve. "Inside the secret digital arms race: Facing the threat of a global cyberwar". TechRepublic. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d F-Secure Financial Key Figures
  3. ^ "F-Secure Weblog : News from the Lab". F-secure.com. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  4. ^ "Great Place to Work® Finland". Greatplacetowork.fi. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  5. ^ "Technology Academy - 2012 CTO of the Year". Technologyacademy.fi. Archived from the original on December 31, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-01. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Wauters, Robin (2009-07-15). "F-Secure Pays €27.5 Million For French Storage Startup Steek". Eu.techcrunch.com. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  7. ^ "Independent Tests of Anti-Virus Software - False Alarm Tests". AV-Comparatives. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-01. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "The Independent IT-Security Institute: Home". AV-TEST. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  9. ^ "TKK - TML - Courses". TML. 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  10. ^ "F-Secure Corporation's policy on detecting spying programs developed by various governments". F-Secure. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  11. ^ http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2357943/security-researcher-finds-exploitable-flaws-in-14-major-anti-virus-engines
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