Entered CNET Catalog: 11/05/2007
SKU: MIS08E003RKA
Manufacturer: McAfee
Manufacturer description
McAfee Internet Security Suite with SiteAdvisor provides trusted PC and Internet protection so your whole family can enjoy online activities such as surfing the Web, shopping, banking, e-mailing and instant messaging. Always on, always protecting and always updating, McAfee delivers a worry-free Internet experience because it guards both your identity and your PC from viruses, spyware, e-mail and phishing scams, and hackers. With its automated backup feature, McAfee Internet Security Suite with SiteAdvisor makes it easy to safeguard your most important photos, music, videos and files. If anything is ever lost or corrupted, you can restore files and data with just one simple click. In addition, the latest McAfee software and updates download automatically, so you never have to install anything manually when a new version is available.Product summary
The good: McAfee Internet Security 2008 covers three PCs for about $50; includes backup and recovery; all of the tools integrate well.
The bad: McAfee Internet Security 2008 offers security updates only once a day, independent test scores could be higher, no tutorial or manual, and telephone tech support still costs.
The bottom line: McAfee Internet Security 2008 trounces Norton Internet Security 2008, offering a better designed product with more security tools.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 11/26/2007
At first glance, McAfee Internet Security 2008 appears not much different from last year's offering. But with a decisive change in the competitive landscape (i.e. Symantec's slip and stumble), McAfee's suite comes out looking much better this year. Whereas McAfee VirusScan 2008 looks and feels like warmed-over last year's product, the additional elements within the Internet suite and low price makes McAfee Internet Security 2008 a serious competitor. Unlike Norton, McAfee offers, in addition to antivirus, antiphishing, antispyware, and a personal firewall, a backup-and-restore feature (Norton still makes you buy a separate product for backups). We still have issues with McAfee's poor technical support, and we wish the security protection offered tested higher in third-party test results. But for a full protection suite, McAfee Internet Security 2008 is very good.
Setup
McAfee Internet Security 2008 offers three-user licenses for $49.95, with additional licenses for a mere $10 each. By comparison, Norton Internet Security 2008 offers its three-user license for $59.95. McAfee VirusScan 2008 runs on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista, while Norton Internet Security only runs on Windows XP and Vista. McAfee also includes its new mobile security product with each Internet Security purchase, but at the time of this review, that product was still unavailable.
McAfee continues to use a bootstrap method of downloading code to your machine, and then installing it module by module. This year the process was much faster in our informal tests. There's the security center, which you download first, then, depending on the product you purchased, the product itself is downloaded from McAfee to your computer. McAfee claims it can offer the latest build; the alternative is to install the product, then immediately update.
Should you want to remove McAfee Internet Security, there is no uninstall option for McAfee in the Windows>All Programs listing. Instead, you'll need to use the Windows Control Panel>Add/Remove Software option. Unlike last year--when McAfee left a mess--after our reboot, we were pleased to find no evidence left on our machine. In comparison, Norton Internet Security 2008 leaves behind registry files and some system files.
Interface
Although it hasn't changed from last year, McAfee's interface is more intuitive and better designed than Norton's. The McAfee Protection Center still offers a left-hand navigation for all tools, with a right-hand window pane for system status. Unlike Norton, which uses individual tabs for products such as Norton AntiVirus, McAfee's has its products fully integrated into its Security Center. We like this better. There are two tables of contents; one lists basic features, while a second lists more advanced tools.
We do like that McAfee has blended all of its tools--security, utility, and networking--together so that the overall product feels integrated and whole. Norton still feels like a collection of standalone applications repackaged. This year McAfee appears to have rewritten some of its code; it doesn't feel as heavy and clunky as last year's edition. That said, in our performance testing, McAfee's antivirus protection remains in the middle of this year's pack of products in terms of overall performance.
Features
McAfee calls its Internet security suite its 10-in-1 product, but we find there's much more offered. Like other security suites, McAfee Internet Security includes all the features within its McAfee VirusScan Plus, then adds additional protection for the Internet suite. Like McAfee VirusScan Plus, McAfee Internet Security 2008 includes McAfee SiteAdvisor, antiphishing protection.
New is the ability for McAfee to scan links within IM messages and rate them. We found that this feature works with latest versions of AOL IM and Yahoo Messenger, two of the most popular IMs today; Norton offers similar protection but only for older builds of Yahoo and AOL.
Also new is a feature McAfee calls "State Aware," in which movies, slide shows, and even games play uninterrupted by security alerts or scans whenever you're in full-screen mode. It's a feature we've seen in other antivirus products this year; Norton doesn't offer this.
Enhanced over last year is the integration of antivirus, antispyware, firewall, and antiphishing. The heuristics, or System Guards, have also been improved.
Missing are more frequent updates of signature files and programs. Kaspersky updates hourly, while McAfee promises only daily updates (although it might, in an emergency, deliver more frequently).
Performance
For antivirus protection, McAfee Internet Security 2008 stays in the middle of the pack, sometimes trending toward the upper end of the middle. On our iTunes test, McAfee placed solidly in the middle of the pack at 271 seconds. In our Microsoft Office test, McAfee trended toward the high end, taking home the second-longest score at 1,519 seconds. In a test scanning a single folder with compressed and media files, McAfee scored 446 seconds, again, toward the high end of our middle group. And in terms of boot speed, McAfee was third-longest at 38 seconds. To find out how we test antivirus software, see CNET Labs' How we test: Antivirus software page.
In terms of whether McAfee Internet Security 2008 will protect your PC, we cite results from two leading independent antivirus testing organizations. In the latest test results from AV-Comparatives.org, for on-demand scans McAfee earned an Advanced (second-highest) rating, catching 93 percent of all malware tested and tying with Norton AntiVirus 2007. For the Retrospective/Proactive test, McAfee also earned an Advanced (second-highest) rating (PDF). From CheckVir.com, McAfee VirusScan Enterprise was earned an Advanced rating, which includes both search and antivirus removal.
For antispyware protection, McAfee remains solidly in the middle of the pack in our latest CNET antispyware tests. CNET labs conducts three separate tests using spyware found to be bundled within free applications rejected by CNET Download.com (as a policy, Download.com does not host any applications containing known spyware). In the first test, active detection, McAfee discovered about 60 percent of the spyware; in the second, on demand test, McAfee detected about 55 percent of the spyware; and in the final, removal test, McAfee removed about 60 percent of the spyware placed on our infected machine.
Support
McAfee has improved its technical support over last year but still doesn't offer context-sensitive help like Kaspersky or Trend Micro, meaning you will have to search for specific help. New this year is a free McAfee Virtual Technician an optional plug-in which, when downloaded, will diagnose the state of your McAfee product and computer health and then make recommendations how to fix it--for free. It seems unnecessary, but then again you can't argue with the price. Symantec offers a Norton equivalent, but it'll cost you $69.95 per use.
McAfee Virtual Technician is the product's first line of defense. If it can't help, then you'll be directed toward the online FAQ, and, finally, chat or e-mail. If you try to jump ahead to chat or e-mail, you'll be directed back to the Virtual Technician first. It's as though McAfee doesn't want you to contact the company directly. Missing is telephone support. Or, rather, telephone support is listed under Fee-Based Support, with a variety of per-minute or per-incident plans starting at $2.95 a minute or $39 per incident, and user support forums are listed as "Community" off the main McAfee page, not from the tech support area where it is expected. There is no tutorial or online manual with McAfee. By comparison, Kaspersky offers a complete 321-page manual, a robust user forum, and toll-free telephone support.
Conclusion
It's not perfect, but in a strictly Norton vs. McAfee universe, McAfee Internet Security 2008 is a much better deal than Norton Internet Security 2008. Not only does McAfee offer more security features than Norton, McAfee integrates them with an intuitive user interface, one that allows you to understand the specific feature as well as tweak its settings. While individual security test scores could be higher, none are deficit, meaning McAfee provides you with more than adequate protection.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27out of 27 user reviews
Mediocre Protection, Resource Hog, Unethical Practices
Pros: Site Advisor is useful.
Cons: Updates impossible to control, Detection is uncertain, Auto-Renewal is a Scam.
Detection is uncertain - allowed a trojan virus on an office computer without any warnings etc.
Auto-Renewal - this is a racket. If you ever give them a credit card #, they will auto-renew your software. Even if you have the auto renewal turned off on your profile on their website, it turns on automatically 30 days before expiration and can only be turned off by contacting customer service. The first notification you get is an email that they've hit your credit card for $69.99. No link on the email and the from address is unmonitored so you have to go thru the customer service hassle to get the card charge reversed.. Nothing was said about future charges when I gave them a credit card #. Their defense - the license agreement when you install tells you about the credit card charge that will happen in a year.
I will never ever use their product again.
out of 27 user reviews
In ever thought Mcafee would be so bad.
Pros: Doesn't slow the system.
Cons: Poor detection.
out of 27 user reviews
sucks sucks sucks...can't believe what a scam it is
Pros: looks pretty
Cons: false sense of security, horrible support and a laundry list of complaints against them for continuing to auto-withdraw money from your account permanently, even after you've stopped using their product. Don't waste your time or money!
out of 27 user reviews
Worst product
Pros: looks like its doing something...
Cons: i am not sure how the editors gave this product 4 starrs, perhaps they are biased. but the customer service rep stated this version is suppose to protect and detect not repair. of course of you want to repair you have to purchase their virus removal
out of 27 user reviews
McAffee slows computer to a crawl
Pros: Pro: Firewall is great, site evaluation for phishing is great, virus protetion seems to be great, I feel safe doing my banking online.
Cons: Slows the computer down so badly that it is unuseable while scanning or updating software from McAffee.
out of 27 user reviews
It works while you don't have to.
Pros: I have been McAfee for years, if it is set up right it does not hit the system much at all.
I have installed it on family members' computers and they have forgotten it is even in there. It is good to have if your computer is DMZ on the local hub.
Cons: Some setup is advisable and this demands knowledge. No easy task, but it is useful to set it up for each system.
Updates hit the Internet connection bandwidth for a short time.
It is not free.
Our rigs are a Toshiba Satellite laptop and a Sager 9262 (the low and high end of the spectrum.) We have them running under Vista Home 32 and Vista Ultimate 64 respectively. Vista is no easy beast to tame and it is a resource hog. To solve the slow down problems with Vista we put in as much RAM as our systems are capable of using. The Toshiba has 3GB and the Sager has 4GB and this is the maximum these laptops can use. Since we travel around a lot both our McAfee firewalls are configured to 'stealth' mode when on-line. We have never had a problem with virus, assaults / attacks of any kind (watch those back port settings) or other nasties on our systems. However! Between us we are somewhat knowledgeable about computers, operating systems, networks and the Internet in general, and we practice safe Internet surfing.
On Internet surfing:
While Googling or Yahooing (searching) out a term, or a product, the McAfee site adviser is great. If you enable this feature it will warn you about search resulting sites as green, gray, yellow or red. If you are curious about the flags just mouse over them and the reporting will be viewable. I think this is a nice feature for anyone that uses the two most popular browsers (we use fire-fox.) It is certainly a useful feature if you are new to the Internet and computers in particular.
Since we are using Yahoo mail accounts we can't comment on how this handles e-mail that is downloaded to your computer, but this is just another thing coming down to your computer, it would be scanned as it came in.
out of 27 user reviews
A Total NIGHTMARE!
Pros: Not ONE thing!
Cons: The viruses, spyware and malware it FAILED to detect!!!
I found a few spelling errors on the product which should have been my first red flag. Why put a product on the market with spelling errors?!
Chat support was horrible. Every tech will tell you to do something differently. Techs give you extremely difficult instructions and very little time to follow them. I found it difficult to turn off the firewall. Can NOT remove the entire program from your PC unless you restore your computer to factory settings and reinstall your OS. Total memory hog! MCPR (McAfee Product Removal - available on their website) does NOT remove McAfee from your computer either although they state that it does. Many conflicts with other programs as well. Updates bog down single core computers. Be prepared to buy a memory card after it sucks what memory you do have. Cost of memory card $125.00. Cost of having the computer fixed, $150.00.
Save your computer, your money, time and most of all...your SANITY by NOT buying/installing this worthless product. I threw the CD and box in the garbage before my subscription even expired. The 2009 version should be named McAfee Insecurity Suite!
out of 27 user reviews
if you know whats good for you, leave it alone!
Pros: it has good parental controls
Cons: don't even get me started
out of 27 user reviews
Great! If you don't actually need to USE your computer
Pros: It will stand guard over your computer (although Adaware found 3 bad guys that must have snuck in while McAfee blinked)
Cons: It will turn your PC into a hostage. It will also all of a sudden start hogging memory while you're online, even when NOT scanning. The drag is horrendous. It's an incomplete one year subscription that's going bye bye very soon.
out of 27 user reviews
Even "Free with Comcast" doesn't make it a good deal
Pros: Seems to protect well enough ... if you have the time to wait while it does its thing. And I do mean WAIT!
Cons: Practically disables system during upgrades and scans. Doesn't pick up all viruses and errors, so must run a supplemental clean-up every month with regular degrag, temp file purge, etc.
I had run Zone Alarm for years, and that was fine as along as I had the paid subscription. However, when it was time to renew, I went back to the free version and it wasn't sufficient. So I just went with the FREE McAfee feature from my new carrier, Comcast. Big Mistake! My system is slower than with a free version of Zone Alarm!
It's been a real drag. Literally. Almost from the beginning, with the daily updates(for me, it's not just once daily) and scans that come on, oh, just whenever they feel like it. I often cancel the scans and run them manually over the weekends. I keep threatening to do something about it, but the Comcast phone support doesn't handle specific McAffe complaints, they forward you to India for that. And we all know what happens when you deviate from their prepared scripts. Forget about it.
One thing McAfee has started doing is giving me a message off my task bar telling me my system is not fully protected, so I have to open up the control panel and click Fix to get a "green light" ... this often happens after an update. It usually takes less than 5 seconds, but why does it happen in the first place?
I sat 20 minutes this morning waiting for the daily update to finish so I could look up a bus schedule for my husband. Finally, I went and got ready for an appointment. Came back to my desk and it finished after a full 35 minutes. That was the last straw. I really would like my system to perform a bit faster than dial up! I mean, I pay for the 8 meg speed, but who could tell?
Does anyone have any ideas for improving my performance? I'm currently unemployed after corporate downsizing and don't have the bucks for an expensive solution. I'm not a techie, just a busy end-user who's been around desktops since the 80s. I predominantly use Firefox unless an interactive site or download requires I run IE.
With what I've been reading here in the reviews, I may not be able to get McAfee off my system ... so now what?
out of 27 user reviews
the absolute nightmare from hell
Pros: None. I can think of no redeeming feature of this idiocy
Cons: Annoying, slow and can act as a piece of malware. It blocked Chrome and Firefox and FTP transfer on i.e.as well as highjacked firewall. YOU CANNNOT UNINSTALL THIS SOFTWARE without downloading the removal tool from mcpr.***********. Avoid!!!!!
out of 27 user reviews
user friendly, offers all the security features for home based user.
Pros: Excellent tech support via internet chat and is free. Tele support is expensive
Cons: Yet to analyze
out of 27 user reviews
Light On Resources_Pro Active
Pros: Proactive_Identity Protection SPyware..Fast
Cons: Lets Beef Up That FIrewall & Anti_Spam for Windows Mail
Yet, I want McAfee as Powerfuls as Comodo & Agnitum_there is no excuse for not beefing this up. But then again_I can put the current protection level on Stealth and do very well.
I have spent the last two months testing about every security program out there and they are predominately good....but there are some very dumb ones too...
McAfee I have found to be quit fast and tests independently very well especially Spyware. For awhile now you can get McAfee Total 12 at Costco.. good for 5 computers for about $44.00 its an incredible price 6/23/2008..
Good Luck out there.....
out of 27 user reviews
HORRIBLE...The Old Version Was Better
Pros: Hmmmm....This is a tough one
Cons: Slows Computer Way Down
out of 27 user reviews
Better Than Norton 360 (version 2.0)
Pros: Nice graphics; doesn't hog memory; easy to use
Cons: None that I can think of
out of 27 user reviews
Terrible, good Lord!
Pros: Does McAfee has any pros?
Cons: Everything else that McAfee comes with
McAfee has slow down my laptop dramatically and it's CPU Usage when scanning stays at 100% for full two hours on "quick scan"
Do not buy this product, please!
out of 27 user reviews
My Eudora email now CRAWLS with McAfee Security Suite :(
Pros: Everything else seems to work okay. Automatic updates are nice.
Cons: Email CRAWLS! Scans start w/o being scheduled. Deletes "threats" w/o asking!
out of 27 user reviews
don't think it's worth it
Pros: provided some protection
Cons: bad support
out of 27 user reviews
Solid protection
Pros: cool software
Cons: need to improve the apperarence
out of 27 user reviews
This is what I wanted
Pros: Easy to understand, get around and use for a novice
Cons: Can't seem to get my router to work yet with McAfee
The only issue I have is that my router won't work, therefore I don't have access on my laptop, but sure my cousin can get it figured out tomorrow.
I'm very satisfied and it doesn't overload/slow my system. With Norton my system was slowing and that Zone Alarm was horrid........the total McAfee isn't affecting performance. Way to go McAfee!!
out of 27 user reviews
quick to download even for the beginer just like myself
Pros: set up is easy to use and operate with easy to follow instructions
Cons: didnt detect all of the viruses on my p;c even after running updates every day
out of 27 user reviews
VERY POOR SURPORT
Pros: NICE ALL IN ONE PACKAGE
Cons: CAN NOT GET ANY SURPORT
out of 27 user reviews
McAfee won't install on my machine.
Pros: None Yet!!!
Cons: No help from McAfee
I have Windows 2000, and according to McAfee the suite is set up for Windows 2000.
I installed Norton with no problems. Now have a problem on how to get my money back from McAfee.
I would not recommend McAfee to anyone with Windows 2000 regardless of McAfee's claims.
out of 27 user reviews
Conflicts with other programs
Pros: I like some of the components
Cons: Expensive, and conflicts with other security programs
Some of my problems include: when I click to update, I don't get the animated icon nor do I get a message saying that I'm up-to-date.
The Virtual Technican says both Quick Clean and Shredder (the 2 least important components, IMO) require updating, yet when I click the update link, they don't update. The only way I can update the virus signature is by using the VT.
The below is a cut and paste from my on-line chat with McAfee after using the Virtural Technician:
...from the system informtion you have provided, I can see that the third party softwares Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.4, SpywareBlaster v3.5.1, System Spyware Interrogator, SpywareGuard v2.2, Spybot - Search & Destroy are installed in your computer.Please uninstall these software's as they are incompatible with McAfee.
Now, how can McAfee consider itself a security company when all computer techs agree that using more than one security suite is safer than using only one...as one suite cannot and does not catch all problems.
Previous versions of McAfee Security Suite worked with these 3rd party software programs.
Will I renew next year? Probably not!
out of 27 user reviews
Works Perfect on my Vista Laptop
Pros: Bring Back the Sheild!
Cons: None that I can find...
I not always been a McAfee fan... but they got it going on ... now, if only they would bring back the sheild icon!!
out of 27 user reviews
CALLASSA TESTS MCAFEE SECURITY SUITE 2008
Pros: A US company?
Cons: Poor result Expensive
It was a nightmare removing this software from our computer.
(We're also aware about complaints consumers have made with resprect to McAfee products in this respect and others).
Overall: Not nearly as efective as competitor products Norton and Spyware Doctor/Anti Virus. The latter which is significantly less cost.
out of 27 user reviews
I think it provides excellent protection but much more improvements are still required.
Pros: I think I like its SiteAdvisor. I feel more secure when I surf as I can see the safety rating of the websites I visited.
Cons: I think scanning is still slow and it does not have a quick scan feature which other internet security suite do provide.
I think this Mcafee Internet Security Suite 2008 that I am using now is excellent and I read review about it at Top Ten Reviews Website. Mcafee is Second among a list of security suite.
I think this Mcafee Internet Security Suite 2008 that I am using now is excellent and I read review about it at Top Ten Reviews Website. Mcafee is Second among a list of security suite.
I am still very happy with this product. I think no security suite could detect all virus and spyware in our PC. I had used other security suite before and it did not detect any virus and spyware in my PC however when I install Mcafee Internet Security Suite 2008, Mcafee detected & removed 2 viruses on my PC.
