F-Secure

ApplicationF-Secure

Also called f secure, f-secure total, withsecure consumer

F-SecureSecurity

A Finnish consumer security suite. WithSecure is the B2B split. fshoster64.exe is a common host. It is not Windows Security.

What you need to know

F-Secure is the Finnish home suite. WithSecure is the work split.

F-Secure is the consumer company after the 2022 split. fshoster64.exe is a usual host. It should take the antivirus slot. Two live engines with Defender is the conflict. WithSecure is not this download.

What is it?: Finnish consumer suite
Same as WithSecure?: No. That is the B2B split
Plus Defender?: No. One live engine

Feex says

If fshoster64.exe is present, I would treat it as F-Secure, not MsMpEng.exe. I would not stack it on Defender. A WithSecure installer from IT is the work split, not this home suite.

What is F-Secure?

F-Secure is the Finnish consumer suite. fshoster64.exe is a common process. WithSecure is the enterprise sibling company.

If you have never used it

If the suite says F-Secure, this is the Finnish consumer brand. Download from f-secure.com. WithSecure is the business company that split off. fshoster64.exe is a usual host. The suite should take the antivirus slot. fshoster64.exe plus live MsMpEng.exe is the two-engine fight. This is not Defender.

What is it used for?

Resident antivirus

The consumer app registers as the active engine so Defender can go passive.

Total extras

VPN and password extras sit in Total. That is still F-Secure, not WithSecure Elements.

Freedome VPN leftover

Older Freedome branding is an F-Secure VPN product, not the antivirus host by itself.

Who is it for?

Nordic and EU households that standardized on F-Secure
People who see fshoster64.exe and wonder if it is Defender
Anyone offered a WithSecure agent at work

Current status

Actively sold as consumer F-Secure. This article is not WithSecure Elements.

How old is it?

F-Secure dates to 1988 in Finland. In 2022 the company split consumer F-Secure from WithSecure B2B. Current home SKUs say Total or similar. A 2004 F-Secure Internet Security box is the same family, not the current build.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

F-Secure Total

F-Secure Internet Security

WithSecure (work, other company)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 10 or Windows 11, per current F-Secure support
RAM	F-Secure lists a 2 GB class minimum on many consumer pages

Resource profile

CPU demand: Host plus scans
Network demand: Definitions and Total extras

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
fshoster64.exe	F-Secure host process on 64-bit Windows
fshoster32.exe	32-bit host on some leftover installs

Startup components

fshoster64.exe starts with Windows while F-Secure owns protection.

File locations

Common F-Secure locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\F-Secure\

Common problems

fshoster64.exe plus live Defender

F-Secure should own realtime. If Defender is still the owner, both engines are live.

WithSecure agent next to Home Total

Work and home products from the split can overlap on a laptop used for both. Pick the owner IT wants on a managed PC.

Getting unstuck

Confirm Program Files\F-Secure

fshoster64.exe belongs with the consumer suite. A WithSecure path is the work product.

Check Windows Security for F-Secure

The owner should change after a successful register.

Install from f-secure.com

withsecure.com is the B2B company. Home users do not download that sensor for a family PC.

Alternatives

Windows Security if you drop the suite. Do not add Avast as a second live engine.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.f-secure.com/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	www.f-secure.com/en/support Vendor support
Official site	www.f-secure.com/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

Resident scans follow the disk. The Finnish suite is not a GPU benchmark.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

F-Secure official site · Vendor product page
F-Secure help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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