F-Secure Partners With ISPs on Security Services

F-Secure said Tuesday it is offering two security software packages that ISPs can market to customers in hopes of bolstering broadband fees.

The Finnish security vendor said the services are for small to medium-size ISPs and their private customers. The services are PC Protection, which includes virus and spyware detection and a firewall, and PC Protection Plus, which adds parental and spam control features.

The two client-side services do not require integration with an ISP’s system. Users will be able to download the software from an ISP’s website, and daily updates are sent out to update virus signatures, said Karin Mikluha, program manager for F-Secure.

The service would be included on a user’s monthly broadband bill, a “hassle-free” way to guard against viruses and malware, Mikluha said.

F-Secure will share revenue from ISPs who sell the software packages, and those ISPs are allowed set pricing, Mikluha said.

Prices could vary from country to country depending on those ISPs, but Mikluha said the services should be competitive with other security products on the market.

So far, F-Secure has secured deals with around 31 ISPs worldwide to carry the services, Mikluha said.

-Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service

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