McAfee, Inc. announced that it has released McAfee(R) Wireless Home Network Security 2006, a software product for consumers that provides industry standard, automatic protection against data theft, unauthorized network access and broadband “freeloading” through an easy and intuitive one-click interface. It is available for download immediately from the McAfee, Inc. Web site at www.mcafee.com.
“The PC and the Internet are not the only areas of the home where hackers or identity thieves can access digital information or set up malicious programs that destroy data,” said Stu Elefant, senior product manager at McAfee. “Today’s digital lifestyles, fueled by the explosive popularity of Wi-Fi networking, expose more personal information and networks to intruders than ever before. With the introduction of McAfee Wireless Home Network Security, we have extended our solution beyond the PC, to offer market-leading security features with an easy, intuitive interface. This new product introduction underscores McAfee’s commitment to protecting consumers wherever their digital lifestyles take them.”
The need for wireless home security continues to grow. Today, 23% of Broadband users have Wi-Fi, but it’s estimated that 60% of consumers who have a wireless system, do not use encryption to secure their wireless network or data transmissions.
McAfee Wireless Home Network Security offers important supplemental security coverage to the comprehensive protection consumers should already have for their PCs such as traditional firewall and anti-virus products. With McAfee Wireless Home Network Security, consumers secure their entire experience:
Blocks hackers from attacking: With a single click, McAfee Wireless Home Network Security helps protect a user’s network from hackers by automatically generating strong encryption keys which secure data sent over a Wi-Fi network and block unauthorized access. Consumers no longer have to worry about dealing with time-consuming, complicated configurations and they don’t need to know complex jargon or understand technical issues.
In addition, McAfee’s long, strong encryption keys are automatically and continually rotating behind-the-scenes so even the most determined hackers are thwarted.
This powerful set of security features not only protects against data theft, but also allows consumers to stop hackers from launching attacks, installing potentially unwanted programs (such as spyware, Trojans, dialers, or keyloggers), or illegally downloading copyrighted content, such as pirated movies, using their identities.
- Easy to Use Tools: McAfee Wireless Home Network Security offers easy-to-use, intuitive tools that make it fast and easy to secure Wi-Fi networks:
- McAfee Wireless Home Network Security provides a network connection tool that shows details about signal strength and security state.
- With one click, consumers can quickly grant access to their secure wireless networks to a family or small business computer, or access for a family, friend, or colleague’s computer.
- Easy-to-understand reports and alerts allow advanced users to gain more information about events, such as key rotations, on their wireless networks.
- Works with off-the-shelf equipment: There’s no need to buy additional hardware. By leveraging wireless security standards, McAfee Wireless Home Network Security utilizes non-proprietary security mechanisms built into popular wireless routers, making it compatible with most of today’s popular wireless routers such as those made by Linksys(R), NETGEAR(R), D-Link(R), and Belkin(R) models. For a complete list, access www.mcafee.com.
- Suspend mode: McAfee Wireless Home Network Security allows for a temporary suspension of key rotation so that special applications can run without interruption.
- Free live support: McAfee experts are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via Internet chat at www.mcafeehelp.com.
Pricing and Availability
McAfee Wireless Home Network Security is available for download immediately for $49.99 (US) and allows up to 5 wireless PCs to be connected in a single network. The retail version will be available in early September. Available in mid-October, McAfee Wireless Home Network Security will also be added to McAfee(R) Internet Security Suite as a 3-user license for $149.99 (US) and a VirusScan(R)/Personal Firewall Plus suite under a 3-user license for $99.99 (US).
McAfee, Inc. developed Wireless Home Network Security based on the technology of Wireless Security Corp., a company it acquired in June. The acquisition was a strategic move to expand protection to all areas of the home where digital data and privacy is at risk. Combining McAfee(R) VirusScan(R) and McAfee(R) Personal Firewall Plus wit McAfee Wireless Home Network Security provides consumers with a multi-layered security solution.
McAfee(R) Wireless Home Network Security 2006 joins six other McAfee 2006 programs — McAfee(R) VirusScan(R), McAfee(R) Personal Firewall Plus, McAfee(R) AntiSpyware, McAfee(R) SpamKiller(R), McAfee(R) Privacy Service, and McAfee(R) QuickClean(TM) — that can be purchased and installed beginning today from the www.mcafee.com Web site.
