Tag: #fsecure

THE SECURITY DISCONNECT: Worried Britons Are Still Creatures Of (PASSWORD) Habit

Despite over 27 million Britons admitting they worry about losing money to online fraud, three-quarters (75%) of the nation could be putting their finances and savings at risk by using the same password for their online banking as other online accounts, increasing the risk of bank account fraud. Staggeringly, there are more than 40 billion records of personal information captured from consumers globally, according to cyber security experts, F-Secure.

The new study, which delves into Britons’ password habits, also found that one in 10 people have had their online banking hacked. Yet, in a strange twist of contradiction, almost 80% of people won’t change their passwords even when they’ve been notified that an account has been compromised.

The disconnect between worry and risk has been revealed in the latest research released today, which shows that lax password habits continue to be commonplace. When it comes to password hygiene more broadly, more than a third[1] still use the same password, or variations of it, for several protected accounts and Gen-Z are the worst creatures of habit with 41% keeping to the same password.

Security experts at F-Secure are urging the British public to improve their password habits this World Password Day (5th May) as cyber criminals exploit weak passwords for theft and identity fraud.

Further findings in the research, also revealed that since the pandemic, the number of online accounts Britons now have has almost doubled – going from 18 to 32. This growth is likely to have been accelerated by the pace of digitalisation over the past two years when many analogue services migrated online.

The research also revealed that rather than use a password manager that allows users to store, generate and manage their passwords, 42% of Britons say they simply memorise passwords, whilst a quarter keep a note of them online, on their phone or written down on paper.

Tom Gaffney, Principal Consultant at F-Secure comments: “There is a clear disconnect between the worries Britons have about cyber security versus their behaviour and attitudes to password management, likely because it’s perceived to be more convenient to have simple, easy to remember passwords. A fifth of account holders choose passwords that contain personal words or numbers. While this may make passwords easy to remember, choosing convenience over security makes passwords weak and predictable, allowing hackers to crack them in seconds. Reusing the same passwords across multiple services is dangerous even if other security mechanisms such as 2FA are in place. While 2FA adds an important layer of security, it still has its weaknesses.

“Cybercrime is a very serious and realistic threat that can have devastating consequences. There are millions of us openly exposing ourselves to the risk of fraud every day. While 36% are using unique passwords across all of their accounts there is room for improvement. We should all be using unique passwords. Many people don’t realise there are some quick and easy ways to improve password habits to close the security disconnect and mitigate risk. If you make one change this World Password Day, make sure your online banking passwords are completely unique, and use a combination of random letters, numbers and characters.”

To help Britons employ effective security measures, F-Secure’s team of cyber security experts have provided these top tips for password safety:

Avoid using consecutive letters that sit consecutively on a keyboard ‘dfghj’ or ‘qwerty’

Never use slang terms or common misspellings or words spelled backward, these can be accessed using software hackers are familiar with using.

Don’t use names of spouses, children, close relatives, pets or anyone else that feature on your social profiles. They can all be discovered with a little desk research.

Never use ‘123456’ – remember when 32 million passwords were exposed in a breach, almost 1% of victims were using that number sequence.

Set up a password manager to keep your details secure. Password managers encrypt your logins so they can only be accessed when you enter a master password and plain text passwords are never stored on any devices or on the password manager’s servers.

Avoid sharing passwords to accounts like Netflix or Spotify, especially if it is the same password you use for other services.

F-Secure launches free password generator to encourage public to use stronger passwords

Today, cyber security provider F-Secure released a free online tool that helps people create super strong passwords for all their crucial accounts. In just a few seconds, the Strong Password Generator creates new passwords that are strong enough to resist cracking attempts by hackers.

“By now, everyone should have heard that they need strong, unique passwords for their essential online accounts. But every time a site or service is hacked and users’ passwords are released, we see credentials like ‘12345’ or ‘password1’ over and over again,” said F-Secure Executive Vice President of Consumer Security Timo Laaksonen. “This new tool makes creating strong, unique passwords for different accounts as easy as using your cat’s name to secure your account.”

A recent F-Secure survey found that since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have become more reliant on online services and accounts. 

More than one-third of consumers, 38%, reported that they have increased the number of online purchases made on their PCs since the crisis began. 32% of consumers said they’ve increased purchases on their mobile, and 31% said they spend more time working from home. 

Any account related to these sensitive activities could be a target for an account takeover, which could lead to identity theft or fraud. Protecting accounts with strong, unique passwords is an effective measure to prevent such compromises. 

“The passwords that secure our accounts have never mattered more and we’ve never had more crucial accounts to secure,” Laaksonen said. “Because this tool comes from F-Secure, with well over three decades of protecting consumers and securing their data, you can count on the Strong Password Generator to make it easy to get strong passwords that won’t fall into the wrong hands.”

Find out more about why every password matters here.

7 tips to avoid scams and protect your money when shopping online this Christmas

While most people are aware that there are dangers associated with shopping online, many are unaware of how their data is used and what the consequences could be. Cyber criminals can use your personal data to open credit card and bank accounts in your name, make purchases using your accounts (including illegal items), obtain credit cash advances and even steal your identity.

This holiday season could be a lucrative time of year for these criminals who anticipate that consumers may lower their guard slightly during the rush to bag the best deals on sought after items.

Tom Gaffney, Security Consultant from F-Secure, is issuing advice to consumers on how they can stay safe when shopping online in the run up to Christmas and beyond…

 

  1. BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU SHOP

You may be desperate to get hold of that best-selling toy that’s at the top of your little one’s wish-list, or the new PS5/Xbox Series S/X for your teen, but be careful where you buy from as scams can take place on any kind of online platform, from Amazon to Facebook. It’s also not uncommon for fraudsters to set up fake ecommerce sites.

Firstly, keep in mind that if anything online seems too good to be true – it probably is. If a seller is actually selling a very high-demand item, expect the price to be high.

If you’re wary of a site, do your research – Google is full of retailer reviews. Saying that, online reviews can be faked so if you see nothing but positive feedback and can’t tell if the writers are legit, follow your instincts. Also, check the website for a physical location and customer service information and see if their social media channels are active. Another key feature to look for is the little lock symbol that appears in the corner of the URL field. This indicates that the website you’re on is safe. Also make sure that the website you’re on is “https” not “http” as the ‘s’ stands for secure.

Once you’ve checked that it’s a legitimate site, use a credit card where possible for added safety as most offer consumer protection against fraudulent sites.

If you’re buying directly from someone i.e. via Facebook marketplace make sure you talk to the seller and ask for more information if necessary, for example the pictures of the product itself with a handwritten note to prove legitimacy. Never give out your details directly to the seller over email or messaging apps, but use the marketplace’s functionalities or services such as PayPal to do the transactions. Never use PayPal Friends and Family transactions when buying things online as PayPal does not reimburse payments sent using this functionality, or transfer money directly into their bank account.

 

  1. CREATE STRONG UNIQUE PASSWORDS TO PROTECT YOUR ACCOUNTS

Most ecommerce sites will require you to set up an account to make a purchase. The average person has 18 password protected accounts and worryingly, recent F-Secure research found that 41% of people use the same password on multiple accounts and 56% use the same password with only slight variations. This means that if your login information gets stolen on one website, it’s likely that your other accounts will also be compromised.

It’s vital to have strong, unique passwords for accounts to be protected and that you regularly change these. A password manager such as F-Secure ID PROTECTION can help you remember all your login details so you don’t need to worry about losing or forgetting them.

To give your online account additional protection, where possible you should also turn on two-factor authentication (2FA). This is a way for the service you’re using to check you really are the person you claim to be when logging in.

 

  1. REGULARLY DELETE COOKIES FROM YOUR BROWSER

Cookie banners pop-up every time we visit a website and most of us will click ‘accept’ without thinking. Cookies are small files that websites send to your device that the sites then use to monitor you and remember certain information about you i.e. what’s in your shopping cart, or your login information. Basically, cookies track you as you browse.

It’s important to delete cookies because:

  • They pose a security threat whereby hackers can potentially gain access to your browser sessions and steal your personal data

  • Over time you could accumulate a lot of cookies which will slow your browser down

  • Cookies store your personal information and enable websites to track and follow you round the web, developing a profile of your online habits and targeting you with ads

  1. AVOID SHOPPING IN PUBLIC – YOU CAN ENJOY A HOT DRINK BUT NOT THE PUBLIC WIFI

 

Using public Wi-Fi to shop online while at your favourite coffee shop may be convenient but it’s not cyber safe. Avoid making purchases via public Wi-Fi as you could end up compromising your data and financial information. Cyber criminals often target these hot spots to steal confidential information from unsuspecting users, such as passwords or credit card details, leaving them susceptible to identity theft and fraud.

If you must use public Wi-Fi then make sure you have a VPN installed such as F-Secure FREEDOME. VPNs offer you complete privacy for your activities online, no one will be able to track you or see what you are doing, not even your Internet Service Provider. A VPN will block harmful websites and hacking attempts, encrypt data to protect your real IP address and online traffic and protect you when you’re using public Wi-Fi.

 

  1. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU CLICK ON AND STAY ALERT TO PHISHING SCAMS

Between April 2020 and March 2021, online shopping scams were up 65% on the previous year, with a whopping £69.9m lost to fraudsters. Beware of adverts which encourage you to click on links. If you receive an enticing offer, rather than click on the link, go directly to the website to verify that the offer is legitimate.

Phishing scams, where online criminals trick you into handing over personal details which are then used for account takeover or identity theft, are especially common during Christmas and Black Friday seasons. Consumer group Which? recently reported that three in five of us have had fake delivery company texts over the past year. The message often contains a link that takes you to a scam website and may warn of a failed parcel delivery and ask for payment. They are often sent using a fake appearance of huge brands that you trust and expect communication from like DPD, Royal Mail or FedEx.

To avoid being caught out don’t click links in SMS messages, especially if they say you have limited time to respond as this is a common tactic scammers use to pressure you. Check the URL of the link to make sure it matches the company website address. Do not call the number provided and under no circumstances hand over personal information such as your card details.

 

  1. BROWSER SECURITY – DOWNLOAD F-SECURE TOTAL AND START BROWSING THE INTERNET SAFELY AND SECURELY

Many people are unaware that they should configure security settings within their browser to enable safer internet surfing. Regardless of which browser you use (Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome or Firefox), each gives you options to disable cookies and block security risks such as malicious software (malware) that can sneak in through infected pop-ups, plug-ins and extensions, compromising your security.

Default browser settings leave your data exposed so at a minimum you should:

●      Disable pop-ups and redirections as cyber criminals could use these to spread malicious software

●      Don’t allow automatic downloads as these could contain malware and viruses. Ask to be prompted before downloading anything

●      Turn on “Send a do not track request” to help prevent websites from tracking you

●      Don’t allow browsers to save passwords as although it’s convenient it creates a security risk. Malware that captures keystrokes can steal information. Also, if a laptop falls into the wrong hands, it doesn’t take much for a hacker to find the stored password information

At the very least, make sure you update your browser on all your devices regularly as using old software can provide a way for hackers to break into networks. Updates will address security issues and also help your browser run better. F-Secure TOTAL will give you all the protection you need to secure your online activities, your devices and yourself.

 

  1. KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR CREDIT CARD AND BANKING TRANSACTIONS

If your credit card information gets compromised, there can be charges without you knowing. Review your monthly statements to find any suspicious activity. Contact your bank immediately in case of anything unknown.

A good way to protect your money online is to restrict which countries your credit card will work in. Just remember to change the settings back when you need your card abroad.

#CyberSecMonth 2021 – Four common mistakes people make online that could put their money at risk #ThinkB4UClick

A recent study by Uswitch found that Brits are spending a whopping 384 minutes (6.4 hours) using the internet every day, yet even those who are ‘tech savvy’ are unaware of the extent to which their browsing and social media activity is tracked. Not only is this intrusive, extensive cross-platform tracking also makes it easier for cyber criminals to access personal information.

While most people are aware that there are risks associated with browsing the web, many are unaware of how their data is used, and of the severity of those associated risks.

Tom Gaffney, Security Consultant at F-Secure flags four common mistakes that even tech savvy people are making online, and provides top tips on how they can keep themselves safe.

Mistake 1: Using one browser for everything.

Tip: Most people use only one browser, whether that’s Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc, for all their online activity. However, Tom recommends using at least two – one for work and online banking and one for personal use – as not only will this be beneficial to privacy and security, but it will also give you separation in what you’re browsing and what you’re doing.

“Using separate browsers for casual browsing vs. ‘serious stuff’ like accessing online banking hugely minimises the risk of hackers getting to those sensitive accounts,” says Tom, “I personally never use the same browser to read news articles and browse social media as I would for online banking; casual browsing is generally how vulnerability issues arise — we click links that pique our interest without a second thought and hackers know this. Having a dedicated ‘serious’ browser enables you to shift your mindset into protection mode, you’re less likely to make risky decisions which could compromise your accounts when using your “serious-stuff browser”.”    

Mistake 2: Ignoring important security settings

Tip: Despite spending more time with their apps and web-browser, most of us are unaware of the security and privacy settings. We should all spend just a few minutes to check and configure security settings within our browser to enable safer internet surfing. Regardless of which browser you use (Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome or Firefox), each gives you options to disable cookies and block security risks such as malware that can sneak in through infected pop-ups, plug-ins and extensions, compromising your privacy.

Default browser settings leave your data exposed so at a minimum Tom advises you should:

  • Disable pop-ups and redirections as cyber criminals could use these to spread malicious software.
  • Don’t allow automatic downloads as these could contain malware and viruses. Ask to be prompted before downloading anything.
  • Set your browser to ask permission before accessing your location, camera and microphone.
  • Turn on “Send a do not track request” to help prevent websites from tracking you
  • Think carefully before allowing browsers to save passwords as although it’s convenient it creates a security risk. Laptops and mobiles can fall into the wrong hands, it doesn’t take much for a hacker to find the stored password information.

Mistake 3: Not clearing cookies in your browser  

Tip: Cookie banners pop-up every time we visit a website and most of us will click ‘accept’ without thinking. Cookies are small files that websites send to your device that the sites then use to monitor you and remember certain information about you i.e. what’s in your shopping cart, or your login information. Basically, cookies track you as you browse.

There are several reasons why Tom recommends deleting cookies such as:

  • Over time you could accumulate a lot of cookies which will slow your browser down
  • Cookies store your personal information and enable websites to track and follow you around the web, developing a profile of your online habits. In doing so they build a mosaic which maps your interests, identity, age, location, religious beliefs and even sexual identity. While this is used for providing you with targeted ads, this data is sold between organizations and has a more insidious target of knowing everything about you.

“Most browsers make it straightforward to view and delete cookies,” says Tom, “simply go to browser settings and look for the privacy or security section. It’s also worth noting that all browsers have a setting which allows you to browse the web anonymously, which you should have on by default. This will ensure that less of your personal information is shared with data brokers.”

Mistake 4: Not using a VPN

Tip: Even the most secure browser with the most advanced settings can’t always keep your browsing activities safe or private which is why you should consider a VPN such as F-Secure FREEDOME.

“VPNs offer you complete privacy for your activities online,” says Tom, “no one will be able to track you or see what you are doing, not even your Internet Service Provider. They can block harmful websites and hacking attempts, encrypt data to protect your real IP address and online traffic and protect you even when you’re using public Wi-Fi.”

 

Last word: Overall, it’s important that you exercise common sense when using the internet. Many organizations have made the web a simpler place to surf and shop with one-click purchasing. Sometimes we actually need to slow down, especially when shopping, banking or paying bills to allow our minds to engage critically.  At the very least, make sure you update your browser regularly as using old software can provide a way for hackers to break into networks. Updates will address any security issues and help your browser run better.

New F-Secure FREEDOME VPN feature protects privacy and security on public WiFi #VPN #FreedomDay #FSecure

Leading cyber security software provider, F-Secure, has announced a new feature for its virtual private network (VPN) software, FREEDOME, to tie in with ‘Freedom Day’ in the UK on 19th July — the significant or complete lifting of Coronavirus restrictions.

With the UK set to enjoy unrestricted life again, many won’t have safe internet access on their minds. But with many establishments now relying on phones for services such as ordering and payment, it’s crucial, now more than ever, that people ensure they’re safely using their devices to avoid becoming a victim of cyber crime.

FREEDOME’s new feature, which is available for iPhone and Android devices, automatically detects when a user’s device connects to a public WiFi network and launches the VPN to ensure an anonymous and safe browsing experience.

Public WiFi networks are now widely available and although undoubtedly convenient, can present serious security and privacy risks. A password-protected public network may appear secure however devices are actually at their most vulnerable when connected to one. Because data sent through public WiFi can be easily intercepted, Cyber criminals often target these hot spots to steal confidential information from unsuspecting users, such as passwords or credit card details, leaving them susceptible to identity theft and fraud.

VPNs such as FREEDOME use encryption to scramble user data and make it unreadable when it’s sent over a public network. Without a VPN, a user’s entire browsing history is not encrypted, including websites visited and passwords entered, leaving them vulnerable to having their personal information compromised.

“As restrictions are lifted in the UK, more people will be connecting to public networks. Whether they’re working from a coffee shop, killing time in an airport or ordering food via an app or website,” says Tom Gaffney, Principal Consultant at F-Secure, “the last thing people want to worry about when they get their freedom back is cyber security, which is why we created this new feature. Our users can enjoy their newfound freedom with peace of mind that their data is protected.”

FREEDOME VPN gives people a hassle-free way to encrypt their communications over public Wi-Fi, change their virtual location to access location-based  online services, and block malicious websites and online tracking attempts. Users can whitelist trusted networks, such as their home WiFi, to prevent FREEDOME from launching unnecessarily.

F-Secure is located in Finland, outside of the ‘14 Eyes’ intelligence community, which means F-Secure isn’t legally obligated to share user data with those countries’ authorities — offering better privacy than other VPN providers located in the US or UK, for example.

A number of FREEDOME packages are available; prices start from just £2.08/month to protect three devices for a year. Check F-Secure.com for further information.

Data breaches are increasing people’s exposure to cyber-crime. #CyberCrime

Thanks to cyber-attacks making regular headlines in the news, it’s no secret that massive data breaches are a significant threat to organisations. However, a new report from cyber security provider F-Secure highlights the rarely-discussed impact these attacks can have on people and families using online services.

According to the report, nearly 3 out of every 10 respondents to an F-Secure survey experienced some type of cyber-crime (such as malware/virus infections, unauthorised access to email or social media accounts, credit card fraud, cyber bullying, etc.) in the 12 months prior to answering.

However, cyber-crime was roughly three times more common among respondents using one or more online services that had been breached by attackers. 60% of respondents belonging to this group – called “The Walking Breached” in the report – experienced cyber-crime in the 12 months leading up to the survey, compared to just 22% of other respondents.

Cyber-crime was even more prevalent among The Walking Breached respondents with kids, with 7 out of 10 saying they experienced one or more crimes.

“Personal information stolen from organisations can easily end up being used against people and families through different types of identity theft, fraud, or other types of harm. And with more and more information being stored digitally, what criminals can do with people’s information keeps getting worse. So these attacks on companies can really end up hurting people and not just a business’ bottom line,” explained Laura Kankaala, a security consultant with F-Secure.

Stress and concern was the most common effect of cyber-crime, followed closely by loss of time – both of which affected about half of all cyber-crime victims surveyed. Certain losses due to cyber-crime were more common among The Walking Breached than other respondents: loss of money, personal information, and loss of control over personal information or accounts.

Notably, half of The Walking Breached that experienced cyber-crime prior to filling out the survey reused passwords, and nearly 7 out of 10 (69%) reused passwords with slight variations.

Entire industries have developed to help cyber criminals monetise people’s personal data. Account passwords and login credentials, for example, are often bought and sold. These industries fuel the risks of fraud and other crimes for people whose information has been stolen.

And in a new trend, attackers who use encryption to hold organizations’ data for ransom are now stealing that information and threatening to leak it, demonstrating the lengths criminals will go to profit from people’s data.* In one particularly severe incident involving the breach of a company operating psychotherapy clinics, an extortionist (or extortionists) threatened to release the personal information and therapy records of former patients unless those individuals paid a ransom.**

According to Kankaala, people rarely think about how valuable the information stored in online accounts really is until that information is gone or exposed.

“Recovering hacked or lost social media accounts can sometimes be really difficult and we tend to recognise the value of something only once it’s gone. These accounts are not ‘just social media’ or ‘just email’ – they hold records of our past, pictures we may have not stored anywhere else or conversations that are either private or something we’ll miss once they’ve been deleted,” said Kankaala.

The full report, The Walking Breached: How Data Breaches put People at Risk of Cyber Crime, is now available at https://blog.f-secure.com/the-walking-breached/.

*Source: https://blog.f-secure.com/podcast-ransomware-mikko/
**Source: https://www.politico.eu/article/cybercriminal-extorts-finnish-therapy-patients-in-shocking-attack-ransomware-blackmail-vastaamo/

F-Secure urges public to act now as UK sits on ticking time bomb of data fraud. #DataFraud #FSecure #DataPrivacyDay

Ahead of Data Privacy Day on 28 January 2021, cybersecurity experts F-Secure are calling for consumers to be more aware of where their data is as the UK faces major challenges with data fraud.

The plea comes following the news that credit card, identity and cyber-fraud is now the biggest type of crime within the UK, meaning that it is the most likely crime the public will fall victim to. In 2019-20 there were 3.7 million reported incidents according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

Tom Gaffney, principal security consultant at F-Secure comments: “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in internet usage, from shopping online to homeschooling and criminals are looking for ways to exploit the sharp rise of online resilience.

“Whilst F-Secure research found that 65% of internet users are worried or very worried about having their identity stolen, many consumers are still making obvious errors when it comes to their online activity. This is a serious issue and if criminals do get hold of our data they can do anything – from stealing our passwords, to accessing our critical accounts, to taking over our identities. It’s therefore really important that people start being more vigilant with their personal data so they don’t fall victim to crime.”

Here are four common mistakes that leave people vulnerable online and what they can do to increase their protection:

 Sharing isn’t always caring:

Streaming services have soared since the pandemic with many of us turning to TV in lieu of normal activities. But with this has come an increase in sharing platform logins.

F-Secure research last year found that 42% of Brits said they share streaming services with between one to three people, including those outside of their own household such as colleagues and former partners. Subsequently, 37% of people are getting their online content through a mix of their own subscriptions and using shared access through someone else’s account.

The danger here is that your password is in the hands of someone else who may not be following best practice when it comes to data security. So whilst it may seem like you’re doing a friend a favour, it may result in you being a victim of crime.

Password problem: 

F-Secure research found that 41% of respondents use the same password on multiple accounts, with 56% using the same password with only slight variations. With the average person having 18 password protected accounts, one leaked credential could quickly lead to multiple risks for each user.

It’s therefore vital to have strong, unique passwords across accounts to be protected. Regularly change these too and make use of software that securely saves them for you.

Living your life online:

There is no doubt we are all spending more time online since COVID-19. However, this can mean personal details are being shared more than ever, which can lead to clues about passwords. Kids’ names, birthdays, pets, anniversaries and addresses can all be common threads when it comes to passwords and sharing these online can lead to criminals accessing your accounts and data.

So, think twice about what you share and who to. As ever it’s always good to keep on top of your privacy settings on social media too.

Educating home learners:

With many of the UK’s children currently homeschooling, the use of online tools and resources have soared. Lessons are now carried out via Zoom or Google Classroom, and apps such as Reading Eggs and Numberbots have become great ways to educate at home. However, these accounts are often set up quickly by parents or by children themselves with little or no understanding of the importance of secure passwords and accounts. This creates dangerous territory for many.

Children are typically well educated on cyber bullying and other dangerous online activity but less so on fraud. Now is a great time to explain to children why keeping personal data secure is so crucial and how criminals can exploit these details if they’re not safeguarded.

Despite the very real threat of cyber-crime, many people still aren’t putting suitable measures in place to protect themselves. Creating and managing multiple strong and unique passwords is tricky, which is why F-Secure launched ID PROTECTION, helping users stay safe online while removing the hassle of juggling several passwords at once. ID Protection also continuously monitors and detects exposed personal information online, providing instant alerts and guidance on how to respond when there has been a breach or data leak.

F-Secure updates TOTAL cyber security package. #CyberSecurity #Tech

Cyber security provider F-Secure has released the latest version of its premium cyber security service TOTAL. TOTAL has undergone updates and improvements to offer users the very best in online protection.

Offering malware, browsing and banking protection, TOTAL has a new look and feel with many usability improvements such as faster and easier installation, improved instructions and streamlined flows. It also includes the recently launched F-Secure ID PROTECTION which is the evolution of KEY password manager.

F-Secure TOTAL is premium cyber security for users and their devices rolled into one subscription. It features F-Secure SAFE, which protects users online security; F-Secure FREEDOME, which maintains privacy online, and F-Secure ID PROTECTION, which keeps important credentials safe in one secure password manager and identity monitoring offering.

SAFE works across PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices to provide online security with antivirus, browsing and banking protection against various threats including hacking and criminal activity on personal data. Family Rules also enable parents to set healthy boundaries for kids’ device use.

The latest additions to SAFE include:

  • Stalkerware protection
  • Banking protection enhancements for Windows users, including no longer blocking non-browser applications that are trusted by the scanning platform
  • Browsing protection enhancements
  • Redesigned Family Rules to improve usability and now allows for daily time limits and bedtime to be set across all supported macOS versions and accounts
  • Silent upgrades to make sure SAFE mac upgrades are installed automatically
  • An ADBlocker for iOS users

Also included now is F-Secure ID PROTECTION as it takes over from KEY as F-Secure’s password manager that stores logins, card details and other key personal information. ID PROTECTION takes this one step further by also continuously monitoring and detecting exposed personal information online and enables users to respond quickly to threats to their online accounts and identity.

ID PROTECTION’s features include:

  • Identity management that provides instant alerts and guidance on how to respond when personal information has been found as part of a breach or data leak
  • A comprehensive breach database consisting of billions of recovered assets and plain text passwords
  • A combination of human intelligence and Dark Web monitoring to recover breach data up to 6 months faster
  • Protection for the entire family with a single subscription
  • Password management that makes it easy to create unique, strong passwords that are automatically synchronised and auto-filled on all devices

Also included in TOTAL is F-Secure FREEDOME, an intuitive online privacy and security VPN that lets you stay invisible to online trackers, protects data on public Wi-Fi and changes virtual location. In addition to typical VPN capabilities, FREEDOME supports browsing protection, anti-phishing, anti-tracking, and Tracker Mapper, protecting users from harmful sites, trackers and apps that want to forward personal data without you knowing about it.

F-Secure TOTAL is available from £59.99 per year and has 50% off for Black Friday (25-30 November 2020).

F-Secure survey suggests UK public not ready for increased risk of identity fraud. #IdentityFraud

At a time when identity theft and data exposure is on the rise, global cyber security provider F-Secure has found that many online users aren’t adequately protecting themselves against data breaches.

Now more than ever there is a huge reliance on online services for the likes of home-schooling, shopping, communication and medical appointments, all requiring accounts with log-ins and passwords. With this comes the increased risk of data breaches and the potential for users’ details to end up on the dark web ready to be exploited by criminals.

Recent F-Secure research has found that 41% of respondents use the same password on multiple accounts with 56% using the same password on multiple accounts with slight variations. With the average person having 18 password protected accounts one leaked credential could quickly lead to multiple risks for each user.

The survey found that the risks are well known however with nearly 2 in 3 (65%) internet users worried or very worried about having their identity stolen for online purchase or loan fraud. 37% of those asked say that they were aware of at least one data breach involving an online service they use.

Tom Gaffney, principal security consultant at F-Secure said, “It’s interesting that despite many online users being aware of the dangers of ID theft that many still aren’t putting enough measures in place to protect themselves. For many ID theft is distressing, time consuming and costly so it’s crucial people protect themselves more so than they are.  There could be a number of reasons why people are risking themselves including lack of awareness or inconvenience but now more than ever they need to be clued up on it.”

 CIFAS research has found that cases of identity fraud are up nearly a third over the past five years and are projected to increase as criminals look for ways to exploit the sharp rise of online reliance during the pandemic.

In response to the findings F-Secure has launched ID PROTECTION, a new seamless solution that provides a comprehensive approach to securing personal information and accounts.

Tom Gaffney continued: “We realise that coming up with a strong, unique password and remembering it for one account is tough let alone 20.  And still even if you do everything right, your online services can still be breached. This pervasive risk demands a new approach to securing personal data online, where users must harden their identity and accounts, and know when their personal data is found in the ‘wild.”

ID PROTECTION continuously monitors and detects exposed personal information online and is able to respond quickly to threats to users’ identity, whilst doubling as a password manager to prevent account takeovers.

ID PROTECTION’s features include:

  • Identity management that provides instant alerts and guidance how to respond when personal information has been found as part of a breach or data leak
  • Comprehensive breach database consisting of billions of recovered assets and plain text passwords
  • Combination of human intelligence and Dark Web monitoring to recover breach data up to 6 months faster
  • Protection for the entire family with a single subscription
  • Password management that makes it easy to create unique, strong passwords that are automatically synchronized and auto-filled on all devices

F-Secure ID PROTECTION is available both with monthly and yearly subscriptions and is now included as part of F-Secure TOTAL premium cyber security package. Find out more about the solution and how to protect your identity on F-Secure’s website.