Free Essay On McAfee

McAfee was created as McAfee Associates in 1987 by John McAfee. The strongest side of McAfee is their fantastic team from the Department of Research and Development and engineers that work for the company, as well as their researches in the field of security. Over the past few years they have expanded, making several important acquisitions. In regard to the future, their core technology is well-positioned for mobile devices, in the security systems based on the cloud, where now there is a need for such technologies. They are not the market leader in anti-virus software. Although this important area, they have other assets that are also important. They are full-fledged enterprise to provide their customer computers and mobile devices with security. And that's one thing that every single user may like. They also show strong growth quarter after quarter, year after year they take care about their clients.(Couts 2012)
In 2010 McAfee was bought by Intel. Very recently Intel took the decision to change the name of the anti-virus program from McAfee to Intel Security. However, they decided to keep logo the same, as it is widely recognized all over the world. Rebranding was probably caused by Intel’s attempt to distance themselves from the name of odious create of the anti-virus program - John McAfee, who sad that he will be eternally grateful to Intel for removing his name from this horrible association with the worst program on the planet.(Pagliery 2015)
Modern anti-virus software is designed primarily for the Microsoft Windows operating system in its various generations. The reason for this is a huge number of viral programs and codes created just for this platform.
There are many tools for the development of viruses, and many of them are free of charge. This virus generators and other special programs are supposed to be the programs that create viruses, and all sorts of malicious stuff. It is worth noting that the majority of virus software cope perfectly well with the potential of free antivirus software.(Couts 2012)
Once the malware codes began to be developed under platforms such as Linux and Mac OS X, which has always been famous for their reliability, the most advanced anti-virus companies started to develop anti-virus products and under these systems too.
With the proliferation of mobile digital devices, the need to create anti-virus programs has appeared. Because mobile operating systems are also at risk from malicious code. Along with the operating systems of personal computers and laptops, modern antivirus serve the platforms such as Apple iOS, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, and others.
Antivirus or anti-virus program is supposed to be a program of a specific type, designed for the detection, identification and subsequent removal of malware programs, infected files, spam and other troubles. In addition, the antivirus is able to prevent the infiltration of unwanted code to the operating system of your computer or your mobile device, as well as to treat already infected files, preventing their removal.(Webroot 2015)
The successful performance of anti-virus programs is largely based on their own anti-virus databases. These databases are the places where all the necessary information about the currently existing viruses is kept. Because of the fact that the number of malicious programs and codes increases very quickly, and the type of their work differs from antivirus, the need for continuous monitoring for the emergence of a virus arises. It turns out the virus code, its behavior, and only after that, it is possible to choose the appropriate way to deal with the problem. This is how McAfee works in the sphere of protection against different viruses.(n.d. 2015)
McAfee anti-virus software will regularly scan your computer for viruses and other malicious software that may be on your PC. If the software detects a virus, it usually puts it in the quarantine, heals it or simply deletes the file.
You can choose by yourself, how often the scan should occur, even though, as a rule, it is recommended that you run it at least once a week. In addition, most antivirus software will protect you in everyday activities, as for example, when checking email and surfing the web.
Whenever you download a file to your computer from the Internet or e-mail, McAfee anti-virus program checks it and makes sure that the file is free from viruses or any malware codes. McAfee anti-virus software will also update what is called virus definitions. These virus definitions are updated as often as the new viruses and the new malware are found and identified by the support of the anti-virus program.
One of the most important functions of the McAfee anti-virus program is to guarantee computer’s real-time virus protection. Most antivirus software offers protection in real time, and the McAfee is believed to be among the group that is one of the most sustainable. This means that every second McAfee anti-virus program protects your computer from all incoming threats. Thus, even if the virus does not infect your computer, you should consider installing antivirus software with the regime of protection in real time to prevent further spread of infection.
Another very important feature of McAfee software lays in the detection of threats. Anti-virus software can scan your entire computer for viruses. First of all, the most vulnerable area is scanned; these are the system folders and RAM. The settings of McAfee allow you to choose sector scan, or choose, for example, checking specifically hard drive. However, not all antivirus programs are equal in their algorithms, and some antivirus programs have higher detection rate than others, and McAfee anti-virus program succeeds to be among those who have very high detection rate.(n.d. 2015)
McAfee will also provide your computer with automatic updates. New viruses are created and appear every day. Therefore, it is important for anti-virus software to have the ability to update the virus databases. McAfee databases include the list of all known viruses, both old and new. Automatic updating is necessary because an outdated antivirus can not detect new viruses and threats. In addition, if an antivirus program offers only manual update, you can manage to forget to update you anti-virus programs with new virus definitions, and your computer may be infected with a new virus. It is much more better to choose an antivirus with automatic updates.(Mcafee 2015)
McAfee anti-virus software always provides you with alerts, when the security of you computer is in danger. It alerts you when any unknown program tries to access your computer. An example is the Internet-based applications. Many programs that are trying to gain access to your PC, harmless or you have downloaded them voluntarily and thus, antivirus programs give you the opportunity to decide by yourself whether you want to allow or block their installation or operation.

References

(2015). Retrieved 7 February 2015, from http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/brochures/br-mcafee-fact-sheet.pdf
Couts, A. (2012). From malware to madman: A brief history of John McAfee’s lunacy binge. Digital Trends. Retrieved 7 February 2015, from http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/malware-to-madness-a-brief-history-of-john-mcafees-lunacy-binge/
Mcafee.com,. (2015). McAfee Sets a New Standard for Comprehensive Malware Protection | McAfee Press Release. Retrieved 7 February 2015, from http://www.mcafee.com/us/about/news/2013/q1/20130226-01.aspx
Pagliery, J. (2015). Intel renames its tainted McAfee brand. CNNMoney. Retrieved 7 February 2015, from http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/07/technology/security/intel-mcafee/
Webroot,. (2015). Reinventing Antivirus. Retrieved 7 February 2015, from http://www.webroot.com/shared/pdf/reinventing-antivirus.pdf