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F-Secure Anti-Virus for Mac

Neil J. Rubenking
 & Neil J. Rubenking Principal Writer, Security

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
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65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS
F-Secure Anti-Virus 2016 sticks to the business of malware protection. It does a good job, and you can install it on both Windows and Mac OS devices. - F-Secure Anti-Virus for Mac

The Bottom Line

F-Secure brings antivirus scanning and firewall protection to Macs.

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Pros & Cons

    • Firewall tools.
    • On-demand and continuous antivirus scans.
    • No parental controls.
    • No URL checker.
    • No safe Web browsing tools.

F-Secure Anti-Virus for Mac Specs

Product Category Antivirus
Product Category Security
Product Category Software
Product Price Type Direct
All Specs

These days, you can find almost anything in a security tool whose name indicates it's an antivirus. Spam filtering, firewall, ransomware protection, password manager, you name it! F-Secure Anti-Virus 2016 ($39.99 per year for three licenses) sticks to the basics, and does a good job. The wildest addition in this product is a free, feature-limited edition of F-Secure's system tune-up tool.

The installer runs a quick cleanup scan to make sure there isn't any active malware that might interfere with the install process. You can also run that cleanup tool manually. Once installation is finished, you'll see the program's simple main window. It reports current security and update status, and offers buttons to launch a scan or change settings. Other tabs let you access a simple collection of tools, or view overall protection statistics. That's about it!

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Final Thoughts

F-Secure Anti-Virus 2016 sticks to the business of malware protection. It does a good job, and you can install it on both Windows and Mac OS devices. - F-Secure Anti-Virus for Mac

F-Secure Anti-Virus for Mac

None

F-Secure brings antivirus scanning and firewall protection to Macs.

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About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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