This was a great week. We launched our 2009 consumer security software products with industry leading features and technology. The products were designed and built as a response to what customers told us they wanted – to be protected against today’s sophisticated threats without being disturbed or prevented from using their computers.

The most important new feature is called “Active Protection.” It’s the fastest detector of malware in the world. It can locate malicious software—viruses, spyware and identity-stealing programs— in milliseconds, over 1,000 times faster than our major competitors, without slowing down your PC’s performance.

And talking about performance…McAfee’s 2009 security now has:
• less impact on PC start-up
• shorter scan times
• faster launching of common applications

I’m not exaggerating when I say the start-up time of running McAfee Internet Security 2009 on a new PC is just two seconds!

We’ve also pumped up defenses for the PC, Internet, personal files and home networks. This includes a new “digital vault” software for safely storing confidential files such as financial statements and tax documents.

We’ve also upgraded McAfee SiteAdvisor to include a “safe shop” feature that will protect you from identity theft and credit card fraud when you shop online. Also, for the millions of families with wireless home networks, we’ve added intruder alerts to let you know when someone new is trying to join your network. For families and individuals besieged by spam, we’ve added a new anti- spam engine that’s getting rave reviews.

What sets us apart from our competitors is that McAfee software always has the most current protection because it is constantly updated and upgraded with the newest features automatically. All of these enhancements happen in the background, sight unseen and silent.

For more details about the new products, check out the 2009 product pages here: http://us.mcafee.com/.

Todd

Many of us here at McAfee are parents with children growing up online. Like you, we want to keep them protected, directing them to the safe neighborhoods of the Internet and helping them to avoid the dark alleys. We understand the challenges of talking to kids, tweens and teens about Internet Safety - everything from cyberbullying to avoiding risky online behavior that might compromise the family’s personal information.

To help you and your family stay safe while online, McAfee has just released a downloadable 10-step Internet Safety Plan eBook. The downloadable plan includes age-appropriate, easy-to-understand Internet safety guidelines for kids, tweens, teens, and “newbies. These tips will be useful to parents, educators, community groups and other influencers who want to teach consumers about Internet safety.

Research informs us, that teens and kids are known to engage in “risky” online behavior. For example, 80% of the young people who use the Internet in the U.S. play on-line games according to research by (eMarketer, September 2006). Savvy malware authors have taken notice and are creating password-stealing Trojans designed to rob young people of their identities.  While 51 percent of teens have downloaded music, the search term “digital music” often leads to sites that can populate a computer with spyware, viruses and exploits without the user’s knowledge. In addition, 45 percent of young people said someone they’ve never met has asked them for personal information online.

The McAfee eBook explains how families can work together as a team to set boundaries and create a list of rules to follow. The eBook also includes a section on how to save chat session logs, block users and report intruders. It also provides recommendations for age-appropriate browsers and search engines, among other tips. Finally, an online pledge certificate is available for download to allow families to print, sign and display near the computer to reinforce the mutual obligations necessary for computer safety.

Remember, the more you know, the safer you will be. Check out McAfee’s Security Advice Center for easy-to-read computer and Internet security educational material at www.mcafee.com/advice.