F-Secure

F-Secure is a Finnish cybersecurity and digital privacy company headquartered in Helsinki. Its consumer business develops security and privacy products for personal computers, mobile devices, smart televisions, and connected devices. Its portfolio has included antivirus and broader internet-security software, virtual private network services, password and identity protection, and related online safety tools. The company also provides selected free security utilities through its website. The business began in 1988 as Data Fellows, founded by Petri Allas and Risto Siilasmaa. Its early activities included training computer users and creating customized databases. The company moved toward security software during the early 1990s, developing a heuristic scanner and then launching an antivirus product for Windows personal computers in 1994. The Data Fellows name was replaced by F-Secure in 1999, marking a clearer focus on information security and a more internationally usable brand. F-Secure became known for research-led security development. In 2005 it introduced BlackLight, an anti-rootkit technology intended to detect stealth techniques used to conceal malicious software. Over time, the company broadened its consumer proposition beyond traditional antivirus protection to cover privacy, identity, passwords, VPN access, and protection for multiple connected devices. This reflected a wider change in the consumer security market, in which customers increasingly faced tracking, credential theft, phishing, ransomware, unsafe networks, and abuse of personal information alongside conventional malware. The company also built a substantial corporate-security operation. In 2015 it acquired the Danish security consultancy nSense and followed that transaction with the acquisition of Inverse Path, an Italian consultancy with expertise spanning areas such as avionics, automotive systems, and industrial control environments. In 2018 F-Secure acquired the British security company MWR InfoSecurity for £80 million. That transaction expanded its consulting capabilities and added MWR's threat-hunting, managed detection, and phishing-protection activities to the wider business. A major organizational change followed in 2022. F-Secure announced that its corporate and consumer activities would be separated. The corporate-security branch was renamed WithSecure Corporation, while the consumer-security operation retained the F-Secure name as an independent listed company. The demerger took effect on 1 July 2022, when F-Secure was listed on Nasdaq Helsinki and the corporate business was separated from it. Consequently, the F-Secure brand should be understood primarily as the consumer cybersecurity and privacy business after the separation, while WithSecure represents the former corporate-security operation. F-Secure's positioning combines automated protection with privacy and identity features intended for ordinary users rather than only specialist security teams. Its product strategy is centered on subscription-based digital protection across several device categories, supported by security research and browser- or network-based safeguards. The historical record also shows a recurring emphasis on independent testing and technical detection capabilities; F-Secure Client Security received AV-TEST's Best Protection award for the fifth time in 2016. The company remains an active Finnish public cybersecurity brand, although the exact composition and naming of its current product plans may change over time.

F-Secure was established on 16 May 1988 in Finland as Data Fellows by Petri Allas and Risto Siilasmaa. The founders initially worked on computer-user training and customized database projects. During the early 1990s, the company shifted toward security software and developed a heuristic scanner, an approach designed to identify suspicious behavior and previously unrecognized malware rather than relying only on known signatures. In 1994 it released its first antivirus product for Windows personal computers. Data Fellows adopted the F-Secure name in 1999 as it developed an international identity around computer and internet security. The company continued investing in security research and in 2005 introduced BlackLight, described as an anti-rootkit technology for identifying malicious software designed to hide inside or beneath normal operating-system activity. Its product scope subsequently expanded from conventional antivirus into broader internet security, privacy, and identity protection. F-Secure developed products for computers and mobile devices and later addressed smart televisions and other connected devices. The consumer portfolio came to include VPN access, password management, and tools intended to protect personal information and online activity. Alongside its consumer products, F-Secure developed corporate consulting and technical-security capabilities. In June 2015 it acquired nSense, a Danish company focused on security consulting and vulnerability assessment. It also acquired Inverse Path, an Italian security consultancy associated with work in avionics, automotive, and industrial-control environments. These transactions gave F-Secure a broader presence in specialist assessment and enterprise security services. In June 2018 F-Secure acquired MWR InfoSecurity for £80 million. The transaction added MWR's consulting business, later associated with F-Secure Consulting, as well as Countercept's threat-hunting capabilities, later associated with F-Secure's managed detection and response activities. MWR's phishing-protection services, including phishd, also became part of the expanded security offering. This period represented F-Secure's development into a company spanning consumer software, enterprise consulting, threat hunting, and managed security. The corporate and consumer operations were reorganized in 2022. On 17 February, F-Secure announced a demerger. The corporate branch was renamed WithSecure Corporation, while the consumer business was transferred to a new independent company that continued to use the F-Secure name. The demerger became effective on 1 July 2022. At that point F-Secure was listed on Nasdaq Helsinki as the consumer-security company, while WithSecure operated as the separate corporate-security business. Following the separation, F-Secure's identity is principally associated with consumer cybersecurity and privacy subscriptions. Its offering is built around antivirus and internet-security protection, VPN services, password and identity features, and coverage for multiple personal devices. The company has also made various free security utilities available through its website. Its history reflects the broader evolution of the cybersecurity market: from PC antivirus and heuristic detection, through rootkit and internet threats, to protection against privacy loss, phishing, credential theft, unsafe networks, and risks affecting connected devices.

1. 2022Consumer and corporate businesses are separated

   The demerger becomes effective on 1 July; the consumer business remains F-Secure and the corporate business becomes WithSecure Corporation.

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2. 2018MWR InfoSecurity is acquired

   F-Secure acquires MWR InfoSecurity for £80 million, adding consulting, threat-hunting, managed detection, and phishing-protection activities.

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3. 2016Fifth AV-TEST Best Protection award for Client Security

   F-Secure Client Security receives AV-TEST's Best Protection award for the fifth time.

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4. 2015Enterprise security expansion

   F-Secure acquires nSense and Inverse Path, expanding consulting and vulnerability-assessment capabilities.

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5. 2005BlackLight anti-rootkit technology is introduced

   F-Secure develops BlackLight, an anti-rootkit technology intended to detect concealed malicious software.

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6. 1999Data Fellows becomes F-Secure

   The company changes its name to F-Secure as it develops an international security brand.

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7. 1994First Windows antivirus product

   Data Fellows launches its first antivirus product for Windows personal computers.

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8. 1991The company develops a heuristic antivirus scanner

   Data Fellows develops an early major software project involving a heuristic scanner for antivirus products.

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9. 1988Data Fellows is founded

   Petri Allas and Risto Siilasmaa establish Data Fellows in Finland on 16 May.

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Consumer-focused cybersecurity and digital privacy protection, combining malware defense with VPN, identity, password, and online-safety capabilities.

• F-Secure TotalConsumer cybersecurity subscription

  A bundled consumer protection proposition combining several F-Secure security and privacy capabilities. Depending on the plan and period, the bundle is associated with protection against malware and online threats together with VPN, password, and identity-related functions. It is designed to give households a single subscription covering multiple personal devices rather than requiring separate specialist products.

• F-Secure Internet SecurityInternet security software

  Consumer security software focused on protecting computers and other supported devices from malware, unsafe websites, and common online threats. It represents the continuation of F-Secure's traditional antivirus business while extending protection toward everyday web use and digital transactions.

• F-Secure VPNPrivacy and VPN service

  A virtual private network service intended to protect network traffic and improve privacy when users connect through potentially untrusted networks. It extends F-Secure's consumer proposition beyond malware detection into the protection of online connections and browsing activity.

• F-Secure ID ProtectionIdentity and password protection

  A consumer identity-protection offering associated with password management and monitoring of personal information. Its role is to help users manage credentials and identify potential exposure of account or identity data, complementing device-level antivirus and network privacy tools.

• BlackLightAnti-rootkit technology2005

  An anti-rootkit technology introduced by F-Secure in 2005. It was designed to identify malicious software that attempts to conceal itself from ordinary security scanners and operating-system views.

• 2022Separate consumer and corporate security businessesStrategy

  F-Secure determined that its consumer-security and corporate-security activities should operate as separate businesses with distinct market identities.

  What changed. The corporate branch was renamed WithSecure Corporation, while the consumer business was transferred to a new independent company retaining the F-Secure name. The demerger became effective on 1 July 2022.

  Aftermath. F-Secure continued as the separately listed consumer cybersecurity company on Nasdaq Helsinki, while WithSecure became the separate corporate-security company.

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• 2018Acquire MWR InfoSecurityM&A

  F-Secure aimed to strengthen its consulting, threat-hunting, managed detection, and phishing-protection capabilities.

  What changed. F-Secure acquired MWR InfoSecurity for £80 million.

  Aftermath. The acquisition added the MWR consulting business, Countercept threat hunting, managed detection activities, and phishd-related phishing protection.

  Acquisition price. £80 million (2018 acquisition announcement)

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• 2015Acquire nSense and Inverse PathM&A

  F-Secure sought to broaden its enterprise-security capabilities beyond consumer software through specialist consulting and vulnerability assessment.

  What changed. The company acquired Danish security consultancy nSense and Italian consultancy Inverse Path.

  Aftermath. The transactions expanded F-Secure's consulting and assessment capabilities into enterprise, automotive, avionics, and industrial-control contexts.

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• 2022F-Secure announces separation of consumer and corporate businesses

  F-Secure announced a demerger under which its corporate-security activities would become WithSecure Corporation and the consumer business would continue under the F-Secure name.

  Other
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• 2022F-Secure consumer company begins independent Nasdaq Helsinki listing after demerger

  The separation of the consumer and corporate businesses became effective on 1 July 2022, with F-Secure listed separately on Nasdaq Helsinki and the corporate operation operating as WithSecure.

  Leadership change
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• 2018F-Secure acquires MWR InfoSecurity

  F-Secure acquired MWR InfoSecurity for £80 million, adding consulting, threat-hunting, managed detection, and phishing-protection capabilities.

  M&A
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• 2016F-Secure Client Security receives a fifth AV-TEST Best Protection award

  F-Secure Client Security was reported to have received AV-TEST's Best Protection award for the fifth time.

  Other
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• 2015F-Secure expands enterprise security capabilities through nSense and Inverse Path

  The company expanded into enterprise security consulting and vulnerability assessment through the acquisition of Danish firm nSense and Italian consultancy Inverse Path.

  M&A
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1. F-Secure
2. F-Secure official website