F-Secure unveils updated security suite

F-Secure has announced Internet Security 2010, an updated version of its popular security suite.

The company said that the new suite offers enhanced detection techniques using cloud-based technology, more secure browsing, and an improved user experience.

The cloud based element is provided by its ‘Real-Time Protection Network’, which uses F-Secure’s DeepGuard technology to compare any file launched on a system against a database hosted on F-Secure’s servers.

F-Secure’s technical manager Leslie Forbes said this process took only 70-100 milliseconds. “It’s amazingly fast”, he said. When users are offline, the system defaults to a local ‘sandbox’ scanning method. “It’s like having a virus lab with you all the time.”

Forbes also said that the new 2010 version was less resource hungry than the previous version and its competitors, making it suitable for use with netbooks or low spec systems.

UK country manager Pekka Metala, admitted that having had great success as the default security suite provided with many European ISPs, for now, F-Secure was mainly targeting the consumer market.

“We’re not just an enterprise company any more”, Metala said. However, he assured IT PRO that it was not abandoning the business market and that where relevant the new technology in the 2010 suite would be applied to its enterprise products.

“We have lots of legacy public sector customers, and we’re going to continue to support them.”

The suite will be available for download on 3 September for £39.95 for a three user pack, or £19.95 for a single user. It is available for Windows XP, Vista and 7.

When asked by IT PRO, Forbes hinted that a Mac version was also on the way, but no date was provided.

Back in February, F-Secure’s own internal servers were hit by an SQL injection attack, though the company deemed the attempted hack to be only “partially successful”.