# McAfee

**Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/mcafee  
**Vertical:** Security  
**Subcategory:** Antivirus and Security Software  
**Tier:** Leader  
**Website:** mcafee.com  
**Last Updated:** 2026-04-14

## Summary

Consumer cybersecurity brand providing antivirus, VPN, and identity protection; McAfee+ emphasizes dark web monitoring and identity theft recovery services.

## Company Overview

McAfee is a consumer cybersecurity company providing antivirus, identity protection, VPN, and privacy management tools to individuals and households globally. The company was originally founded in 1987 by John McAfee as one of the first commercial antivirus software companies, subsequently went through multiple corporate iterations including acquisition by Intel (2011) and spinout, was acquired by private equity firm Symphony Technology Group (STG) in 2021, and has since repositioned entirely as a consumer-focused security brand after STG separated the enterprise business as Trellix.

McAfee's current consumer product portfolio includes McAfee Total Protection (antivirus, identity monitoring, VPN, secure browsing), McAfee+ (expanded identity theft protection and monitoring), and McAfee Identity Protection Service (credit monitoring, dark web scanning, SSN monitoring). The company emphasizes identity protection as its primary differentiating value proposition in a market where basic antivirus has become commoditized and identity theft is a more pressing consumer concern.

In 2025, McAfee competes in the consumer security market with Norton (Gen Digital), Bitdefender, Kaspersky (now banned from US government systems), and Malwarebytes. The company has invested in AI-powered threat detection and scam protection tools that detect phishing, romance scams, and AI-generated impersonation attacks — a growing threat category affecting consumers. McAfee's brand remains highly recognized despite turbulent corporate history, providing distribution advantages in retail (Best Buy, Costco) and online channels. The company's subscription model and family protection bundles target the household security buyer seeking comprehensive digital safety.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is McAfee?
McAfee generated $3B+ revenue 2024 (TPG Capital/Thoma Bravo owned, 500M+ devices, consumer antivirus/VPN/identity theft protection). Founded 1987 Santa Clara by John McAfee (antivirus pioneer). 2010 Intel acquired $7.7B.

### When was McAfee founded?
McAfee was founded in 1987 in Santa Clara, California. Founded 1987 Santa Clara by John McAfee (antivirus pioneer). 2010 Intel $7.7B. 2016 TPG divested. 500M+ devices. Consumer antivirus. $3B+ revenue.

### What are McAfee's major milestones?
McAfee's history includes several key milestones: In 1987, McAfee Founded Santa Clara: John McAfee. Antivirus pioneer. Consumer security. In 2010, Intel Acquired: $7.7B: Enterprise security expansion. In 2016, Intel Divested: TPG Capital/Thoma Bravo PE: Consumer focus. 500M+ devices. In 2024, $3B+ Revenue, Consumer Antivirus/VPN/Identity Protection: Norton/Bitdefender competition. 7K employees.

### What is McAfee's mission?
McAfee's mission is to To protect consumers from viruses and cyber threats through antivirus software and security solutions.

### Who founded McAfee?
McAfee was founded by John McAfee. McAfee founded 1987 Santa Clara by John McAfee (antivirus pioneer). 2010 Intel $7.7B. 2016 Intel divested TPG. 2022 delisted PE owned. 500M+ devices. Consumer antivirus/VPN. $3B+ revenue. 7K employees.

### What products or services does McAfee offer?
McAfee McAfee reaches $3B+ revenue as consumer antivirus/security platform with 500M+ devices, private equity ownership, following 1987 John McAfee founding

### What is McAfee's current consumer product portfolio?
McAfee's consumer cybersecurity suite is marketed under the McAfee+ brand — offering antivirus and malware protection, identity theft monitoring (scanning dark web databases for breached credentials), VPN (encrypted internet connection for privacy on public Wi-Fi), a password manager, and secure browser extensions. The McAfee Total Protection and McAfee+ plans are subscription-based, typically covering 1-5 devices per household at $30-100 per year depending on the tier. McAfee's identity protection capabilities — which monitor social security numbers, bank accounts, email addresses, and personal information for signs of theft or exposure — have become increasingly central to the product's value proposition as data breaches affecting millions of consumers have made identity monitoring a mainstream consumer need.

### How did McAfee transition from enterprise to consumer security?
The original McAfee Company was a broad security vendor serving both consumers and enterprises. After Intel's 2011 acquisition (renaming the company Intel Security), a 2016 spin-out restored the McAfee brand as an independent company. In 2021, Symphony Technology Group (STG) acquired McAfee's consumer business for $14 billion and separated it from the enterprise assets — which were reorganized as Trellix (endpoint and email security) and Skyhigh Security (cloud security). The consumer-only McAfee that resulted from this separation focuses entirely on the personal cybersecurity market, competing with Norton (NortonLifeLock / Gen Digital), Bitdefender, and Kaspersky for the household security subscription segment.

## Tags

b2b, cybersecurity, saas, security

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*Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*