F-Secure Safe

Windows Protection

Installed on Windows, F-Secure Safe very closely resembles the Windows-only F-Secure Internet Security. The only real difference lies in the window title and the presence of a My F-Secure button in the left-rail menu.

My F-Secure

From the My F-Secure console online, you manage your licenses and devices, including devices and user accounts assigned to your children.

App Control

You manage the parental control system through My F-Secure, and your settings, as applicable, apply to all the child’s devices. App Control, seen here, is specific to Android devices.

Bedtime

Parents can limit access during weekday and weekend bedtime hours. For macOS and Windows devices, bedtime means no access to the device. The effects are different for mobile devices.

Content Filtering

F-Secure can block access to websites matching any of 15 content categories. On Windows, it filters all browsers, while on macOS it only filters Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Content filtering on mobile devices only affects F-Secure’s built-in browser.

Protection for macOS

Installed on a Mac, F-Secure Safe offers antivirus protection, parental control, and not a whole lot more.

Protection for iOS

As with most cross-platform suites, F-Secure can’t do as much on iOS as on other platforms. It does enforce family rules, providing the child uses the built-in Safe Browser, and parents can use it to get the device’s location.

Help With Restrictions

Since parental control requires use of the built-in browser, F-Secure offers parents a detailed walkthrough showing how to restrict the use of other browsers.

Family Rules on iOS

On any of the four platforms, your child can view a simple list of family rules, which includes a countdown to show how long before Time Limits come into play.

Remote Wipe

From My F-Secure you can remotely locate, lock, or wipe a lost or stolen Android device, or sound a loud alarm to find a device you’ve misplaced. On iOS, only the locate and alarm features work.

Adult Android Protection

You get full-scale antivirus and antitheft features on Android, as well as banking protection, safe browsing, and a tool to identify apps that may be privacy risks.

Child Android Protection

When installed for a child’s device, F-Secure doesn’t include as many features. Here the focus is on enforcing the family rules and, if necessary, finding the child’s location.

About Our Expert

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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