New McAfee consumer portfolio delivers enhanced speed, effectiveness and security features

McAfee launched the latest version of its consumer security portfolio, focused on system performance, detection effectiveness and safeguarding people’s digital lives.

In an increasingly connected world, the new lineup adds benefits that address consumer needs across all life stages.

McAfee Identity Theft Protection and McAfee Safe Family are now included in McAfee Total Protection and McAfee LiveSafe.

McAfee Ransom Guard and PC Boost have been added to the entire product lineup, which includes McAfee AntiVirus, McAfee AntiVirus Plus and McAfee Internet Security.

“Security is intensely personal, and protection from traditional threats on PCs and mobile phones is no longer enough. People now demand security that addresses the ever-evolving threat landscape while also protecting their identities and family,” said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee.

“Our lineup this year reflects an expanded portfolio that enables our customers to protect what matters to them while delivering on enhanced performance and best-in-class security.”

“Consumers expect a lot more from endpoint security than just stopping malware; it is about being ‘safe’ and making endpoints perform optimally, especially if they are looking to extend the life of older PCs. McAfee’s focus on safeguarding family’s digital activity while looking to enhance system performance is exactly correct,” according to Frank Dickson, research vice president, security products with IDC.

Better performance

By offloading malware analysis to the McAfee Global Threat Intelligence (GTI) cloud, McAfee’s core lineup of products requires fewer system resources and, when combined with new application and browser boosting capabilities, helps PCs to perform at optimal speeds.

To further improve the user experience, this year’s lineup includes the following key PC and mobile enhancements:

McAfee App Boost – Helps apps complete tasks by automatically allocating resources to applications the customer is actively using

McAfee Web Boost – Prevents downloads and system activity caused by auto-play videos resulting in reduced bandwidth and resource consumption

Mobile Enhancements

• McAfee Mobile Security – Redesigned to deliver a more intuitive and engaging user experience,
• McAfee Mobile Security for Android – Now includes machine learning capabilities within the mobile AV engine, which provides more efficient scanning and faster malware detection,
• McAfee Mobile Security for iOS – New Wi-Fi Threat Scan shows the security status of the connected Wi-Fi network and alerts users if the Wi-Fi network they are connected to is at risk.

More effective ransomware protection

According to recent McAfee Labs research, ransomware continues to rise, with 62 percent growth in the past four quarters to 14.8 million samples.

Knowing the importance of protecting against an ever-expanding threat landscape, last year McAfee introduced a machine learning-based anti-virus engine with Real Protect to protect consumers from contemporary threats.

McAfee continues to invest in machine learning technology to better protect customers from malware, while adding features that support its commitment to helping customers feel secure. New features include:

McAfee Ransom Guard – Adds another layer of protection on the PC which monitors for suspicious file changes, warns the user when ransomware may be at work and suggests recommended actions for remediation. Additionally, this technology allows McAfee to detect many variants of zero-day ransomware.

Virus Protection Pledge – This year’s lineup extends the guarantee to six additional languages. If a customer enrolled in automatic renewal gets a virus with protection turned on, the customer support team will remove it, or the customer will receive a refund. Additional terms apply.

Safeguarding people’s digital lives

With this year’s new lineup, McAfee has expanded its focus beyond traditional antivirus to address new threats that are important to people as they live their lives online.

The new lineup now includes features that make it easier to protect what matters most.

• McAfee Safe Family – Provides parents the visibility and controls needed to keep their children safer online when they use their PCs, smartphones and tablets,

Key features and benefits include: Activity reports, app and web blocking capabilities, screen time controls, location tracking, 1-click digital time-outs and more. McAfee Safe Family Premium is included with subscriptions to McAfee Total Protection 10 and McAfee LiveSafe.

• McAfee Identity Theft Protection – Allows users to take a proactive approach to protecting their identities

Key features and benefits include: Cyber monitoring, Social security number trace, credit monitoring, 24/7 agency support and ID recovery and stolen funds reimbursement. McAfee Identity Theft Protection Essentials is included with subscriptions to McAfee Total Protection 10 and McAfee LiveSafe.