There is no virus known by this name to F-Secure anti-virus products. However, we sometimes get queries about 'Tempest virus', since the text "TEMPEST" is sometimes visible to users of Quantum Fireball Tempest hard drives.
Based on the settings of your F-Secure security product, it will either move the file to the quarantine where it cannot spread or cause harm, or remove it.
A False Positive is when a file is incorrectly detected as harmful, usually because its code or behavior resembles known harmful programs. A False Positive will usually be fixed in a subsequent database update without any action needed on your part. If you wish, you may also:
Check for the latest database updates
First check if your F-Secure security program is using the latest updates, then try scanning the file again.
Submit a sample
After checking, if you still believe the file is incorrectly detected, you can submit a sample of it for re-analysis.
Note: If the file was moved to quarantine, you need to collect the file from quarantine before you can submit it.
Exclude a file from further scanning
If you are certain that the file is safe and want to continue using it, you can exclude it from further scanning by the F-Secure security product.
Note: You need administrative rights to change the settings.
During the manufacture and testing of the Fireball drives, a data pattern is used which writes the text string "Tempest" all over the hard drive. This is a part of the normal testing process for all disk drives and is not indicative of any hardware problem. This text string is residual test data which is overwritten by the customer during normal operation and is not cause for any concern.
However, if a data corruption occurs for some other reason, the text "TEMPEST" might become visible. For example, if a document file is cross-linked to an unused area of the disk, the user would see a part of his document to be replaced with "TEMPEST" texts.
This is not caused by a virus and is not a problem of the Fireball drives themselves.