Product Review: F-Secure Internet Security 2009

       PROMOTIONAL


F-Secure Internet Security 2009 includes all the features you would expect in an Internet security suite: antivirus, antispyware, spam and phishing filter, a firewall and parental controls. F-Secure Internet Security 2009 then goes one better, also including improved DeepGuard technology for realtime behavior-based protection and F-Secure BlackLight to detect and remove rootkits and rootkit-enabled malware.

F-Secure Internet Security 2009 combines the Kaspersky antivirus engine with F-Secure's own internal technologies, providing top notch protection against existing, new, and emerging threats. At the core, signature detection enables F-Secure Internet Security 2009 to quickly dissect and remediate known malware via standard signature updates, saving the real processing power for the behavior-based detection of new and emerging malware.

DeepGuard 2.0 incorporates the behavior blocking found in previous versions of DeepGuard with real-time 'in the cloud' computing. When previously unknown applications are launched, DeepGuard 2.0 queries the cloud network nodes for behavior-based diagnosis. Applications deemed to be unsafe are automatically blocked and the global nodes are updated with the new information, thus automatically protecting all F-Secure Internet Security 2009 users against subsequent encounters.

F-Secure BlackLight detects and removes rootkits and rootkit enabled malware. Many rootkit detection tools are run only on-demand which means a rootkit won't be detected until after it has infected the system. F-Secure Internet Security 2009 automatically runs BlackLight in the background, thus providing continuous realtime protection against rootkits and associated rootkit-enabled malware.

F-Secure Internet Security 2009 provides firewall monitors for malicious inbound and outbound Internet traffic. The combined use of security zones with the addition of firewall rules provides a good balance between usability and granular protection. Most users will be well suited with Normal mode, which monitors for malicious traffic while allowing Internet access for most common services and applications such as email, IM, and IRC. Savvy users who like to tinker under the hood will like the ability to customize the security zones with individually configurable firewall rules. The combined use of security zones with the addition of firewall rules provides a good balance between usability and granular protection. This makes the F-Secure Internet Security firewall a good fit for a wide range of user types.

Additional Features
Social engineering scams are a frequent cause of malware infection, essentially using clever wording to trick users into infecting their own system or into compromising their own online banking credentials. F-Secure Internet Security 2009 includes spam and phishing filters to help mitigate these risks. The spam filter offered in F-Secure Internet Security is perfectly adequate for most users, but power users may want to augment it with a standalone spam filter. Likewise, those looking for an additional layer of protection against phishing scams may want to add-on an anti-phishing toolbar.

Parental controls provide password-protected features that enable parents to control access based on time of day or the type of website. Specific pages can be whitelisted or blacklisted as desired. Parental controls are handy for managing your child's use of the Web, as well as providing an extra layer of protection against potentially harmful content.

System Requirements: Windows XP (Pro and Home), Windows Vista (64-bit, 32-bit), Windows XP Media Center and Windows 2000.

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