F-Secure is a Finnish cyber security company headquartered in Helsinki, founded in 1988. Following a 2022 demerger, the company became an independent consumer security business, while the B2B operations were separated under the WithSecure name. [1]
Design and History
In February 2023, London-based studio Nomad rebranded F-Secure with a new visual identity built around a strategy of “Brilliantly Simple.” [2] The previous logo, which depicted the letter F in the form of a shield, was replaced because it felt “somewhat arbitrary in today’s landscape of digital products.” [2]
The new mark features a simple “F” symbol constructed from geometric shapes. According to Nomad Creative Director Ash Watkins, the design did not initially start as an “F.” The studio intended to create a “brilliantly simple” symbol for cyber security. The spinning quarter circle was conceived to feel like it was scanning for online threats, while the perimeter shape was meant to convey guarding and staying alert. The team realized that in static form, these shapes could also form an “F,” which became the logo. Watkins described it as “a logo born to move,” with motion principles playing a functional role in the brand. [3]
When animated, the logo appears to “scan and protect,” representing F-Secure’s digital products through scanning and protection motion behaviors. [4] The simple shapes of the logo also became the foundation for a modular graphic system designed to literally “protect” imagery, using framing devices to create patterns and provide space for typography and messaging. [2]
F-Secure chose Nomad for the rebrand because the studio had no prior experience with cyber security, allowing it to start with “a blank sheet of paper rather than a preconceived idea.” [5]
Before the 2023 identity, F-Secure had used a triangular logo featuring the letter F. In September 2009, the company introduced a modernized version of this triangular mark, designed by Muggie Ramadani. [6] According to F-Secure France marketing director Perrine Didrich, the new logo was “a modern version of the triangular F-Secure logo” that had been used for many years. Certain elements were retained for continuity, including the letter F and blue as the dominant color. The curved shape was described as representing protection, extending beyond computer threats to the protection of valuable or confidential digital content. [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2023 logo’s motion behaviors carry specific meaning: the spinning quarter circle represents scanning for online threats, while the perimeter shape conveys guarding and staying alert. [3]
Nomad retained the principles of F-Secure’s white and blue color scheme as a homage to the company’s Finnish roots. The studio upgraded the white to a slightly warmer ecru and gave the blue a brighter, slightly more purple shade. [3]
Typography and Design
For the 2023 identity, Nomad selected Dazzed, a sans serif typeface by Displaay, as the leading typeface. According to Ash Watkins, the typographic approach was intended to emphasize the brand’s new tone of voice with personality “without making the typeface itself the ‘star of the show.'” [3]
Earlier, in 2009, F-Secure introduced its own custom font called “F-Secure Sans” alongside the logo refresh of that year. [7]
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