McAfee Total Protection: A Comprehensive Security Suite with Room for Improvement
McAfee Total Protection aims to be a one-stop shop for online security, bundling robust malware protection, network defenses, a VPN, and a password manager into a single package. While it boasts strong core features and a user-friendly VPN, its unreliable password manager and potential performance impact on less powerful PCs detract from its overall value. Competitors offer more refined experiences, which is a shame considering Total Protection’s well-intentioned bundling of essential security tools.
Core Features and Pricing
McAfee Total Protection goes beyond basic antivirus protection, offering features typically found in mid-tier security suites. It provides real-time scanning for malware, network intrusion detection, and protection against malicious websites. Additionally, it includes a VPN with unlimited data usage, a password manager, a tracker remover, a file shredder, and a Scam Protection app for mobile devices. Parental controls, however, are reserved for the higher-tier McAfee+ Premium Family subscription.
Pricing varies based on the number of devices covered. The Essential 5-device plan costs $40 for the first year, then $120 per year thereafter. The Basic 1-device plan is $30 for the first year, increasing to $90 annually. McAfee offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and automatically enrolls users in auto-renewal, charging for the next year 30 days before the current subscription ends.
Deals can often be found through third-party retailers like Amazon or PCWorld’s software store, potentially offering more competitive pricing and options for different device counts.
Device Support and Getting Started
McAfee Total Protection supports a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, Windows for Arm, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android. However, feature availability varies across platforms. The VPN and password manager can be shared across five devices.
Getting started with McAfee Total Protection is generally straightforward. Users can opt for a free trial or purchase a license directly. A download link is provided for the installation of the app.
Interface and User Experience
The McAfee app presents a clean and modern interface, but it lacks overall cohesive organization. Key features like antivirus scans, the VPN, tracker remover, and identity protection are easily accessible on the home screen. A protection score indicates the completeness of your security setup.
Additional features are located in a left-hand navigation bar that expands into a slide-out menu. This menu provides access to scanning options, quarantined items, the file shredder, firewall settings, identity monitoring, the password manager, the VPN, tracker remover, and a browser extension.
Account and app settings are accessed through a separate icon in the navigation bar. However, limited configuration options exist within the app itself.
The user experience is somewhat fragmented, with information and features distributed across a device app and two websites. Consolidating account information into the McAfee Protection Center website would improve the overall cohesion of the experience.
Protection Features
McAfee Total Protection continually monitors the system for suspicious activity, scrutinizing new and modified files and apps. The software aims for unobtrusive operation, offering limited customization options beyond enabling or disabling real-time scanning.
Web protection is provided through the McAfee WebAdvisor browser extension, which identifies malicious websites and downloads. However, it only supports Google, Yahoo, and AOL search engines, excluding Bing users from full coverage.
Scheduled scans are configured to run automatically in the early morning. Users can customize the scan schedule or initiate manual quick or full scans. Right-clicking on individual files or folders allows for targeted scans.
McAfee’s firewall complements the built-in Windows firewall, focusing on outgoing connections. It blocks internet access for applications attempting to connect to malicious websites or exhibiting unusual network behavior. Users can remove software from the block list if necessary.
Mobile apps for iOS and Android provide protection against fraudulent links sent via SMS. These apps scan text messages for risky URLs, filtering suspicious messages into a dedicated folder on iOS or within the McAfee app on Android.
VPN
The VPN is easily accessible through the Total Protection app, offering a user-friendly interface for toggling the VPN on or off, selecting a server location, and configuring auto-connect and kill-switch settings.
Alternatively, the standalone McAfee Safe Connect app can be installed. This app allows users to isolate the VPN functionality for devices like Chromebooks or smartphones.
Unlimited VPN usage is included with Total Protection plans when auto-renewal is enabled. Servers are available in 49 countries.
Password Manager: True Key
McAfee’s True Key password manager is a weak point in the suite. While its inclusion is beneficial for encouraging password management, it is outperformed by standalone services and even free password managers.
The password manager’s sign-in process is often unreliable, requiring an emailed verification link that frequently expires before arrival. Furthermore, an activation code is needed to unlock unlimited use.
True Key prioritizes simplicity over security, lacking the option to disable autofill and offering limited two-factor authentication methods. Stronger methods like OTP software codes and hardware keys are not supported.
Identity Monitoring
Identity Monitoring scans the dark web for personal information exposed in data breaches. Users can monitor their email addresses, credit cards, bank accounts, usernames, phone numbers, tax IDs, passports, driver’s licenses, health IDs, social security numbers, and dates of birth.
The results provide a general overview of leaked information, aiding users in taking steps to protect their online identity, such as changing passwords or freezing credit reports.
Additional Features
McAfee Total Protection includes two browser extensions: McAfee WebAdvisor for web protection and True Key for password management.
The File Shredder tool securely deletes files by overwriting data using the Department of Defense (DoD) standard. It supports multiple passes for thorough data obfuscation. However, it is less effective on solid-state drives (SSDs) and can shorten their lifespan.
Support and Updates
Help for McAfee Total Protection is available through various channels, including the support website, community forums, social media, and chat or phone support.
The support pages provide answers to common questions, but outdated screenshots can sometimes make troubleshooting more challenging.
Updates are run automatically by default, but users can adjust the update settings. Manual updates can be initiated through the Account screen.
Performance and Security Testing
McAfee performs well in independent security tests. In AV-Test’s malware tests for November and December 2024, McAfee detected 100 percent of zero-day malware samples in November and 99.5 percent in December. It also achieved a 100 percent detection rate for widespread malware.
In AV-Comparatives’ real-world protection test for July through October 2024, McAfee detected 99.8 percent of test cases with 10 false positives. In the September 2024 malware protection test, McAfee achieved a 97.1 percent online detection rate and a 99.94 percent online protection rate.
However, McAfee exhibited weaker offline threat detection, identifying only 68.4 percent of offline threats. It also scored lower than competitors in AV-Comparatives’ October 2024 Advanced Threat Protection Test.
McAfee Total Protection can negatively impact system performance during full scans, particularly on mid-range and budget PCs. Benchmark scores decreased significantly during full scan torture testing. However, subsequent scans are less resource-intensive as McAfee skips unchanged files.
Conclusion
McAfee Total Protection provides comprehensive online security, combining antivirus protection with a VPN, password manager, and other useful utilities. However, its unreliable password manager, fragmented interface, and potential performance impact detract from its overall appeal. While the core security features are strong, competitors offer more refined and well-rounded experiences.
