McAfee, Inc. Reinvents Computer Security

Breakthrough McAfee Artemis Technology Utilizes New Real Time Service In The Cloud, Significantly Reducing Exposure to Emerging Threats

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 8 -- McAfee, Inc. (NYSE:MFE) today announced a technology breakthrough that redefines how computers are protected against viruses, worms, Trojan horses and other malicious programs, dramatically increasing the level of computer security.

The technology, called McAfee(R) Artemis Technology, uses a new Internet-based service hosted by McAfee Avert(R) Labs to provide active protection on the fly when a computer gets hit by malicious computer code. Artemis is the industry's first technology to shield computer users against attacks as they happen without requiring a traditional, scheduled update of threat signatures to be installed on the machine.

"McAfee Avert Labs projects a true malware onslaught this year with 300 percent more malicious programs in 2008 compared to 2007," said Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee Avert Labs. "Clearly today's threat landscape requires a different approach to malware detection. Artemis is the first protection mechanism that works in Internet time, providing unprecedented protection."

Malware writers are becoming more sophisticated in their techniques. Financially motivated attacks have doubled with eight out of ten attacks designed to make cybercriminals money. Attacks primarily arrive via the Web or e-mail and the vast majority of today's malware is programmed to quietly steal a victim's sensitive information.

The FBI has estimated that the average cost to a business per attack is $1,200 for consumers and more than $350,000 for enterprises. Additionally, organizations face data loss, disruption to business, loss in productivity and non-compliance with regulatory requirements while consumers face the perils of identity fraud.

McAfee Artemis Technology provides an important new weapon in the fight against cybercrime, allowing McAfee's security products to provide protection from known and emerging threats.

Closing the Protection Gap

Traditionally malware detection has relied on databases with threat signatures on the user's computer. This approach requires that the threat databases on each computer are updated with signatures for each new threat to provide the latest detection. As a result there is an inherent delay from when the threat is first identified to when protection is available at all computers.

"The traditional signature-based approach to detecting malware is no longer enough," said Charles Kolodgy, research director for IDC's Security Products service. "While user behavior has changed and the threat landscape has evolved, malware detection technology generally hasn't kept pace. McAfee's program represents a major shift in how the massive increase in malware should be dealt with. This approach returns the innovation initiative to the defense, one-upping malware writers."

Artemis is the first technology to virtually eliminate the protection gap by providing rapid reaction to threats for which signature files have yet to be released. When a suspicious file is detected on a computer protected by a McAfee product containing Artemis, the Artemis technology connects to McAfee servers in real time to determine whether the file is malicious or not. This check happens in seconds without any material impact on the user's experience.

The Artemis service in the cloud is unlike any previous system for classifying and identifying malicious software. It is powered by McAfee's Community Threat Intelligence, which includes security know-how from McAfee's researchers, threat honey pots and real-time input from tens of millions of systems protected by McAfee to make computer security on every computer protected by McAfee smarter and safer.

  Key benefits of Artemis include:
  --  Reducing the protection gap from hours or days to mere seconds
  --  Combining the best of blacklisting and whitelisting models
  --  Dynamic, in the cloud service that offers protection in real time
  --  Easy installation
  --  No cost to customers


  Availability

Artemis is available today as part of McAfee Total Protection Service for small and medium-sized businesses and will be available later this month for McAfee VirusScan(R) Enterprise and McAfee's consumer products. There is no charge for Artemis, which will be called "Active Protection" in the consumer products.

Additional Information

For additional information on Artemis visit the McAfee Web site at http://www.mcafee.com/artemis.

About McAfee, Inc.

McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is the world's largest dedicated security technology company. It delivers proactive and proven solutions and services that secure systems and networks around the world, allowing users to browse and shop the Web securely. With its unmatched security expertise and commitment to innovation, McAfee empowers home users, businesses, the public sector and service providers by enabling them to comply with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities and continuously monitor and improve their security. http://www.mcafee.com/.

McAfee, Avert and/or other noted McAfee related products contained herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of McAfee, Inc., and/or its affiliates in the US and/or other countries. McAfee Red in connection with security is distinctive of McAfee brand products. Any other non-McAfee related products, registered and/or unregistered trademarks contained herein is only by reference and are the sole property of their respective owners.

(C) 2008 McAfee, Inc. All rights reserved.