F-Secure Search has moved to Google.com

naknak

What has happened to the free F-Secure Search tool?

On the home page there's only a brief note:

 

"F-Secure Search has moved to Google.com"

"Relax- your search results and browsing are still protected."

 

But it is not working anymore. No search results through browser add-on, no more safety rating.

What has happned? Can't find any information anywhere.

Näsäviisas

Here is information.

F-Secure Search is an internet search engine, delivers by Google and F-Secure.

In what kind of way you have used it?
In internet or do you have Safe Browser?

With kindly
NÄSÄVIISAS

Ukko

Hello,

 

Sorry for my reply. This is not official answer; I'm also just user of F-Secure security solutions. And there also not visible 'more information' for me too.

 

As it noted there technology preview for F-Secure security solution for desktops :

 

F-Secure Safe Search has been discontinued and was removed

 

---

Such meanings also was there  ; where discussed changes with some of recent F-Secure Freedome VPN updates and 'missing' Private Search tab (button/feature);

 

With my experience - F-Secure Search Beta was with such view (as you noted) already some days (while F-Secure Search stable was still available); On current time - stable F-Secure Search also with such note (as you wrote); There probably missing any official explanation about such changes (as press-release, release-notes, articles) - but maybe it will be there later (?!); If not - maybe there possible to use workarounds for getting more information.

 

Does your experience about F-Secure Search (and maybe toolbar/addon) was not as F-Secure user of some security Home solutions (where safety ratings with Google/Yahoo/Bing search engines still should be visible)?

Danno

To clarify: 'F-Secure Safe Search' which used Google backend but protected browsing privacy is discontinued? 

Ukko

---

@Danno wrote:

To clarify: 'F-Secure Safe Search' which used Google backend but protected browsing privacy is discontinued? 

---

Hello,

 

Sorry if it was just response to main ask of topic and not as response to my previous reply under topic.

 

With my understanding - there discontinued such service (time to time called as 'tool'):

https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/search

And ability to use this page (as example) -> https://search.f-secure.com/ as your search engine.

 

While F-Secure own security features/meanings probably still work and valid (under their solutions);  Some other words should be based on proper notes from official F-Secure stuff/teams about such situation (my suggestions/feelings was under freedome topic);

Herbaaja

F-secure search has been one reason why i have used Freedome. I don't know is by the contract possible to discontinue products after i have bought a license.  But it seems i will move to free or cheaper "Virtual location" program.

 

Ukko

---

@Herbaaja wrote:

F-secure search has been one reason why i have used Freedome. I don't know is by the contract possible to discontinue products after i have bought a license.  But it seems i will move to free or cheaper "Virtual location" program.

 

---

Hello,

 

Maybe you still able to avoid troublepoints or get 'still accesible for you' setting....

 

Why you did so (?! I mean using Freedome based on F-Secure Search as main?! or one of reasons) - even if F-Secure Search was mostly available as not part of Freedome (but ... I do not use recent Freedome builds - maybe there was additional layers to F-Secure Search)? What most of important part of F-Secure Search was for you?

 

* just interesting for me as for user also ( and generally you able do not answer - if you do not want);

[Deleted User]

Hi everybody, 

To bring you some more information regarding this topic, we just published this article.

Herbaaja

I was trusting f-secure to inform me what is the trustworthiness of each www page.

 

I think that freedome has inbuild system to keep so called hijackers out from my PC ???

that is still valuable to me!!!!

 

as for out from the topic.... I think f-secure products are bit mixed up... I cannot clearly tell what product does what...an believe me. I'm not the basic user !!! I know something about internet

Ukko

@Herbaaja wrote:

I was trusting f-secure to inform me what is the trustworthiness of each www page.

 

I think that freedome has inbuild system to keep so called hijackers out from my PC ???

that is still valuable to me!!!!

 

as for out from the topic.... I think f-secure products are bit mixed up... I cannot clearly tell what product does what...an believe me. I'm not the basic user !!! I know something about internet

---

 Hello,

 

Spoiler

If you do not talk about technical part of F-Secure products:

 

Yes, but not only F-Secure products.... it can be with most of security companies. And generally just 'name' of solutions OR security concerns a little be not 'quite understandable' (because they usually just about one common sense meanings);

 

But I have to say that F-Secure design about naming solutions (and other) much better than with most other companies. And their solutions generally can be properly 'marked' for which purpose it required.

At least... they also called F-Secure Freedome as  "F-Secure Freedome VPN";

And some of helpful articles (descriptions) just not always possible to find briefly.

 Sorry for my long reply.

 

I did one spoiler^ - which I thought already long enough and tried just place my feedback about your words and some my advices (and also my feedback) ... but it getting be much larger.

 

Sorry for my worst English and for taking your time if you will be read my reply.... 

 

Spoiler

I think that all of most important F-Secure Freedome features still there. As example, it still should block access to harmful-rated pages and suspicious-rated pages! And there still should be tracking protection (or how it called properly on current time?!); One of difference points there: previously (when you using F-Secure Search website/service/tool as search engine) you just able 'ignoring' such harmful-rated pages directly from search results AND do not open link. With such change -> if you eventually tried to visit known malicious page with F-Secure Freedome (turned ON and with browsing protection option turned ON) - it should be blocked.

 

F-Secure SEARCH was quite good service/tool for all; And too much useful for situations, when user do not use Freedome or another F-Secure security home solutions (with browsing protection module). But not as 'main feature' of Freedome (since it was available for any time - even if you do not use Freedome); And such ability was nice! Except some points: advertisements (there was Google Adwords?! which generally too much often show fake/scam/rogue SEO?! ADs) which comes from Google (?!) directly; autocomplete (hints about typing search query) feature (which not useful for me and which I did not like); there was some time how removed 'Sort by date' feature; and added features like switch to pictures/books/map/other search (which was redirected to Google - so... there was supposed to use Google Search directly as it can be on current time too; but for full F-Secure Search service/tool); and some other things about usability; I often used F-Secure Search for certain 'design' and search 'certain' things (but with recent days - more often switch to Google Search from first); 

 

For my opinion (good if it will be response from experienced Freedome users) and for Windows (not sure about mobile platforms... most likely it with difference and some additional features) F-Secure Search was just as search engine (where you also able to get security rating-badges near the results;

And some 'preventions' for Google tracking; But if I normally able to understand - Google also provide opt-out options about any of tracking or other meanings for you as for user; And this is additionally to some default browser features or security tweaks - which can be different for each browser);

 

Just as my advice (if you do not decided switch to another VPN solutions) and still OK about using F-Secure software:

 

their provided "F-Secure Total" solutions: https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/total

 

Such solution combine "F-Secure SAFE   +   F-Secure Freedome" under one subscription (expected that it will be with less price, than you buy F-Secure SAFE and F-Secure Freedome as two different subscriptions); So, F-Secure Total can be quite good option with meanings that:

 

--> it not only F-Secure Freedome (if I normally understand - which you used and feel good about it; and not sure about ?! just direct security solutions as AV/Internet Security);

 

--> it also F-Secure SAFE (as F-Secure Internet Security for supported platforms: Windows, Mac, Android and partly iOS, Windows Phone);

 

With F-Secure SAFE there still available (yet) search results ratings under Browsing Protection module. For Google/Bing/Yahoo. With some tweaks and configurations - you able use Google with F-Secure SAFE with practically with one security level as F-Secure Search (but search results quality will be higher).

 

 

Herbaaja

What i'm worried about that have you sold your soul to Google and opened a window to my PC  to them ???

Or will Freedome OR Safe keep them out ??? How it is ??

 

Ukko

Just because I'm also only F-Secure user, who choose their security solutions (and I'm not any of F-Secure stuff or someone who able to inform about official F-Secure's position) -> so such ask should not be addressed for me -> and I place reply there - for situation if you eventually suspected that I'm officialy related with F-Secure and your reply was response to my previous feedback (and if your reply was not just global ask F-Secure company about such situation).

 

Also I not sure... if about this concern will be response from F-Secure Community Managers - so maybe you able try to ask F-Secure directly -> https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/about_global/contact/offices

 

 ========

As my own feelings (if for someone will be interesting):

Spoiler

========

 

What about my own view - I not sure how discontinued "F-Secure Search service" (and not acquired by Google.. as example) could "opened a window to user's system". At least, with next meanings:

 

--> you able do not use Google (how it was previously);

 

--> if we talk about search engines: you able to use any of others like Bing; Yahoo; Ixquick; DuckDuckGo; one of large local search engines (some of them available on English); or even... things like YaCy;

 

--> if you still want to use Google Search (or generally get their search results) - if I normally understood there can be small difference between if "Google" will know that there was some search queries from F-Secure Company; Or if "Google" will know that there some search queries from "unknown someone"; If there will be any of "knowledges" for Google at all... with both situations. And there I mean - that most likely Google should provide something as 'untrack' (and high privacy options) for their users. And as additional there can be any of browser's features or addons for more layers on user's side. Using system's, browser's, service's (Google there) own privacy and security options/settings AS additional layer to trusted security solution should be pretty enough for most of Home Users feelings. Such point will be much more secure and with more perfomance than using F-Secure Search with missing any other layers (where search results was not always so best how it will be directly with Google Search) - just as my opinion;

 

========================

 

I think that F-Secure Search was much more quality/good/safe than some of other 'related' things from some another security companies (who also used/using this kind of feature as branded/re-designed Google/Yahoo Search or Ask.com as their 'safesecurity'-search-engines); Lavasoft... AVG... Avira... McAfee and maybe most of security companies have this.

 

So - I not sure why F-Secure discountinued such service (eventually?!) or why F-Secure decided do not 'continue' for providing such thing (if it was not a Google decision). 

 

I used it time to time. Also I not really like many things from Google (and generally I used Google Search from time when there was missing any of their current things; And I start use Google Search... because compare to things like Yahoo or other search portals it was certain Search website - which I want to use... where just Search form and search results) I also do not use Google Chrome, practically do not use Android platform.... and  Google Services (as maybe someone using a lot) - so this is not clear for me... about their current tracking actions or 'abilities to do something with my PC';  I also usually clear browser's cookies, temporary files, cache.. after using it some time. Also with some additional tweaks - I feel there partly "OK'-situation when for my 'search query' (which maybe Google save and counted; or tracked?! and analyzing) search engine return for me some of required search results (as replacing for experience with 'catalog of known websites about certain topic').

Basically -> Google Search (and some of Google service) more noisy for me, than 'privacy breaker'; I think that Google (as large company) should to be with strong rules about such critical for user things (even with Google Search there so many rogue/scam under search results); And with careful using their services - there should be not so many troubles (which can be with using services from large company).

 

 So, F-Secure SAFE or F-Secure Freedome definetely can be helpful with some meanings. But it depends on what you certainly mean about "keep them out" (and does it not possible to do by just common steps!? - since F-Secure SAFE and F-Secure Freedome generally will protect against malicious, harmful and rogue-scam things);

 

Based on F-Secure press-release (for introducing F-Secure Search) -> https://safeandsavvy.f-secure.com/2013/11/11/introducing-safe-search/

They represent main feature for F-Secure Search as ability to provide best search results with "safety search rating badges" (as reputation/rating for URL) for ALL! as 'not premium' feature.

With discountinued F-Secure Search -> for F-Secure SAFE customers there still available 'safety search rating badges' for search results under Google, Bing, Yahoo search engines - which user already able to use directly (as it was before too). There F-Secure Freedome should provide some tweaks about privacy/hidden points (as it was before too).

But most likely that if you do not like Google, but want to use their search engine - there required additional steps.

too large...

Just as "small summary" (about my own feelings ^ ): you able do not use Google at all (for prevent any potential 'unexpected windows') and... as someone able to suggest that best option to use things like Ixquick, DuckDuckGo or things like YaCy. Maybe this is valid, but for me there two points: I not sure that it indeed safer and secondly with less 'powerful' view about valid search results.

 

Also maybe your main concern about point that with F-Secure Search there was notes like "your search history is not stored anywhere or linked to you" (but firstly - at least it was stored under my Browser journal - if I did not use InPrivate mode; and secondly - potentially you able to be with same level with F-Secure Safe/Freedome and with using Google Search directly; of course, with some more steps....); But such service was quite useful and good for not F-Secure users (as good option and ability)! 

 

 As additional - maybe you just able to re-read their (F-Secure) privacy principles (and Terms): https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/legal/principles

I choose F-Secure solutions/softwared based on my own feelings about this company as about good company. So will be nice - if F-Secure will be good company with most of meanings.

 

Sorry for my reply. Will be "valuable" if there comes official response from F-Secure (which you expected with your ask). 

 

Thanks.

nanonyme

Hey,

Just a note: the suggestion to use Google is mainly because that way your search results will be similar to before. Modern F-Secure  products yield safety ratings on some other search providers as well. 

PeFHa

Hello, how can this activation screen for F-Secure Search be removed, as the service is discontinued?

PeFHa

P.S.: It is re-appearing and appearing, regardless what is being clicked on the screen. The screen is also noted inside the "Wartungscenter", i suppose the English name is Support Centre of my F-Secure Internet Security program.

Ukko

---

@PeFHa wrote:
P.S.: It is re-appearing and appearing, regardless what is being clicked on the screen. The screen is also noted inside the "Wartungscenter", i suppose the English name is Support Centre of my F-Secure Internet Security program.

---

Hello,

 

You able to re-check this topic (with some suggestions about this situation):

https://community.f-secure.com/t5/F-Secure-SAFE/F-secure-does-not-accept-no-for/td-p/95928

 

Official response was:

Laksh wrote:
If you're having Internet Security, please reinstall it and it should help with the problem.

---

Also just interesting - your experience about fresh/clean installation F-Secure Internet Security? Or when this prompt created?

Thanks.