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Putting Protection to The Test

 This year has thrown a lot of challenges at us, and our digital lives were not immune. As millions of people around the world suddenly switched to working and learning online from home during the pandemic, digital threats spiked, making security and performance essential.

At McAfee, we are hyperaware of what our users are going through this year, with changes to their work, school, and lifestyles. At the same time, we are keeping our eyes on the threats aimed at taking advantage of the situation.

For example, we know that publicly disclosed security breaches increased by 41% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the previous quarter. And, COVID-related threats are also on the rise. But with everything going on, it’s easy to see how technology users can become overwhelmed. That means that security not only has to protect against a wide range of threats, but also be seamless.

Security that Stands Strong

While you’ve been busy keeping up with all the changes this year has brought, we have been working on providing comprehensive security that protects you from existing and emerging threats so you can have peace of mind. In fact, Austria-based AV-Comparatives recently gave McAfee® Total Protection their highest three-star, “Advanced +” rating for malware protection measured against 16 competitors, and the German anti-malware test lab AV-Test awarded McAfee Total Protection with the TOP Product rating because of its 100% protection scores.

AV-Test also gave McAfee Mobile Security for Android its highest rating in terms of protection, performance, and usability against 14 competitors.

These labs also test for “false positives.” False positives happen when antivirus software identifies legitimate files or processes as malware by mistake.  In recent tests, our products have also scored well when it comes to avoiding false positives. AV-Test showed that McAfee Total Protection and McAfee Mobile Security flagged zero false positives during testing.

Both of these independent antivirus testing organizations specifically look for how well security products protect their users against various threats, which is critically important given today’s threat landscape.

Always Improving

One of the key ways we keep on top of threats is through continuous product development. We don’t stop working on our software tools just because they are released to the public. Our products are continuously updated with new features and enhancements when they become available because security isn’t static. Regardless of if you bought your product in 2019 or early 2020, we make sure that you have the latest protection installed through automatic product updates.

Underscoring our dedication to continual product improvement, U.K.-based SE Labs recently named McAfee the 2020 winner for “Best Product Development.”

SE Labs’s slogan is “testing like hackers” because it evaluates a product’s effectiveness at various stages of attacks, from malicious emails and keystroke loggers, to full-on network attacks and system harm. All of these assessments are important to ensure that we can protect our users in real-world settings.

Performance Still Matters

I’ve written before about how security software has to be convenient, and not get in the way of our productivity. Given the climate, it’s more important than ever that we offer comprehensive security tools that are lightweight and easy to manage.

For instance, I know how important these days are for my kids to meet with their teachers in online classes. If our security software was taking up so much of our computer’s resources that it kept them from being able to stream video while taking notes, it wouldn’t just be frustrating, but detrimental.

McAfee has consistently received some of the best scores in performance tests, while having a minimal impact on users’ systems. Just this month, AV-Comparatives awarded McAfee Total Protection the highest possible ADVANCED+ rating yet again, for the ninth time in a row!

This is great news for us, but even more important for our users since it shows that they do not have to sacrifice protection or performance, whether on their computers or mobile devices.

How It Helps You

Of course, we know the threat landscape is continuously evolving, and we need to evolve with it.

By offering you tools that can guard against the latest risks while allowing you to be productive and connect with family and friends, we hope to be a strong ally in your digital life. It’s great to see that these three independent testing organizations recognize our accomplishments so far in protection efficacy and performance. We promise to keep it up so you can live a carefree digital life.

Stay Updated

To stay updated on all things McAfee and on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats, follow @McAfee_Home  on Twitter, listen to our podcast Hackable?, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.