F-Secure Mobile Security

Company: F-Secure Corporation
Version: 9.2.15359
Devices supported: Mobile
Operating system: Android
Price *: 19.95 €
Language of interface: chinese, danish, dutch, english, estonian, french, german, greek, italian, japanese, korean, norwegian, polish, portuguese, russian, slovanian, spanish, suomi, swedish
Test date: SIP Bench III, 3rd test cycle, Summer 2014

*Prices might change according to the latest company offers

EFFECTIVENESS

The overall effectiveness score is good on adult content and very weak on other harmful content.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between teenagers and children.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between web and web 2.0. The tool performs better with English content.

Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 0.0
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 1.5
Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users 13 years and older: 0.0
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users 13 years and older: 1.5

Effectiveness score for users up to 12 year old: 3.0 out of 4 points
Effectiveness score for users 13 years and older: 3.0 out of 4 points

USABILITY

Installation of the tool: F-Secure for mobile phones are delivered as an application which is installed nearly automatically. Therefore the installation process was not tested with regard to usability.

Configuration of the tool: The configuration is limited to an application-based process; configuration steps via web-based access aren’t provided. The configuration is mostly comprehensible, but context sensitive information are missing with regard to the content criteria. Nonetheless the process is easy to learn. The tool uses a step by step configuration and offers a few options to influence or individualize the configuration process. The configuration is consistent and generally meets users' expectations. The design is appealing.

Usage of the tool: The tool just offers a redirect to a safe source when a web site has been blocked. The alert message is quite adequate taking into account the small device, but it is not worded with respect to young children's capability of understanding. The product doesn’t provide a reporting function.

Usability of the installation process: n/a
Usability of the configuration process: 3.3
Usability of the usage of the product: 2.1

Overall score for usability: 2.8 out of 4 points

FUNCTIONALITY

The Parental Control tool is part of an all-in-one security suite. The tool has only basic functions: It allows the parents to decide what topics need to be filtered. It is also possible to activate or deactivate apps on the mobile devices. It is possible to block the access to Social Networks.

SECURITY

The low rate results from the possibility for the user to reach a blocked website through translation sites.

Overall score for security: 1 out of 4 points

DETAILED FUNCTIONALITY

Area of need	Functionality	Specific issues	Assessment
Management	Management of User profiles	Create several profiles	No
	Remote Management	Manage on various devices	No
	Monitoring	Remote access to monitoring	No
Filtering Customisation	Topics	Customisation of Filtering Topics	No
	URLs White List	Restrict Browsing to White List	No
		Default White List	No
		Modification OR Creation	No
	URLs Black List	Creation of User's own Black List	No
Keywords	Keywords	Default Black List	No
		Default White List	No
		Creation of a User's Black List	No
		Creation of a User's White List	No
Time	Time Limit Settings	Set a specific time frame or web access duration	No
Blocking Message	Type	Ask for unblocking by parents	No
Blocking Message	Type	Redirect to safe resources	Yes
Usage Restriction	Web	Block Access	Yes
	Web	Monitor Access	No
	Safe search	Availability	Yes
	Social Networks	Block Access	Yes
	Social Networks	Monitor Usage	No
	Personal data Provision	Block	No
	Streaming	Block Access	No
	Streaming	Monitor Access	No
	P2P	Block the application	No
	P2P	Monitor Downloads	No
	Skype	Block chat	Yes
		Block video chat	No
		Monitor	No
		Prevent new Contact	No
	Windows Life Messenger	Block chat	No
		Block video chat	No
		Monitor	No
		Prevent new Contact	No
	Email	Block email client and/or webmail access	Yes

DETAILED USABILITY FINDINGS

	Yes / No
I: installation in 3 steps or less	Yes
I: choice of installation for beginners or advanced users	n/a

C: different degrees of strength for the filtering	Yes
C: different content criteria for the filtering	Yes
C: option to transfer filter configurations between target users	No
C: option to transfer filter configurations between devices	No
C: overall comprehensible configuration	Yes
C: overall conformity with user expectations	Yes
C: overall easy to learn	Yes

U: alert message in a child friendly language	Yes
U: option to customise the reaction in case of blocking	No
U: overall easily operable and comprehensible reporting	n/a

DETAILED SECURITY FINDINGS

The Tool prevents the user from by-passing the filter by:	Yes / No
Using the IP address instead of the URL	n/a
Using an alternative browser	n/a
Changing time and date settings*	n/a
Disabling or uninstalling the software without a password*	n/a
Closing the filtering tool trough the Task Manager	n/a
Using a proxy instead of a direct connection to the Internet	n/a
Accessing the web-pages through the Google Cache	n/a
Reaching a website through translation sites	n/a
Renaming a blocked application	n/a
Using Safe Mode	n/a
Filtering Content personalised by user	No
Filtering Content evolving through time	No
Filtering Multimedia content	No
Filtering outbound content	No