

In fact, every Windows 10 operating system ships with a built-in antivirus tool, Microsoft Defender. If you subscribe to the family tier of the Total Protection, which covers up to 10 devices, then you’ll also get the Safe Family parental control suite, with the usual range of content filtering, time restrictions and – more unusual, and potentially intrusively – a geofence that will send the account manager an alert if a family member’s phone goes somewhere that you’ve declared off-limits.If you are a Windows user, you are probably familiar with the idea of antivirus protection. It doesn’t support a very wide range of multifactor authentication options, either – stick with alternatives such as Bitwarden instead. The latter is reasonably functional, but lacks a desktop app.
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It lacks a secure browser, though.įinally, Total Protection’s Identity tools include a secure file shredder, an encrypted ‘digital vault’ for your most private files, and a link to the McAfee True Key password manager included in your subscription. It also includes the McAfee WebAdvisor browser extension, designed to block and warn against potential threats, including in-page cryptocurrency miners. Web tools include a tracker remover and a ‘web boost’ that stops videos from auto-playing in Google Chrome. There’s no dedicated webcam protection module, nor is there a dedicated interruption-free mode when applications run full-screen – McAfee’s Gamer Security suite is the only one built for this. There’s no folder-specific tool to protect against ransomware, but can prevent unauthorised changes to files, however.

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PC protection includes malware scanning, a dedicated firewall that’s seen significant interface layout improvements since the last time I used it, a vulnerability scanner that checks for apps in need of an update, and an ‘app boost’ performance optimizer – I’d prefer a bit more transparency about exactly what’s going on under the bonnet on this one. The main screen informs you of your general protection status, and provides links to specific sections covering PC, web and identity protection.Ī ‘quick actions’ buttons lets you scan for malware, remove web trackers and, if you have it, enable the Safe Connect VPN. The latest iteration of the McAfee Total Protection interface has done away with the worst of the unnecessary clutter.

It also blocked 99.6% of malware in real-world tests by AV Comparatives. It matched the performance of Microsoft Defender, with 100% protection scores in all tests by both SE Labs and AV-Test. When you set aside McAfee’s history of dubious pricing practices, its actual malware defence engine is very capable. For a one-year subscription, expect to pay £29.99 for one device, renewing at £59.99 £34.99 for five devices, renewing at £79.99 and £39.99 for 10 devices, renewing at £89.99.Ī 10-device family subscription gets you the Safe Family parental control suite along with Total Protection. McAfee tends to be reasonably cheap for the initial year, before seriously jacking up the price when you renew.

McAfee now incentivises auto-renewal with bonuses, currently in the form of a money-back guarantee and access to the Safe Connect VPN service.Īlthough McAfee also owns TunnelBear, Safe Connect provides a less fully featured service and appears not to use the same infrastructure, although there are at least no bandwidth caps for Total Protection users. It’s now much easier to disable subscription auto-renewal, but the increase between Total Protection’s initial subscription cost and renewal fee is still pretty hefty. McAfee Total Protection is a paid-for antivirus, but its steep renewal fees, to which customers were automatically subscribed, were recently found as being unfair by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. VPN Users who opt in to subscription auto-renewal get access to McAfee’s unlimited Safe Connect VPN service.Password manager Generate, save and auto-fill secure password via browser extensions.Parental controls Time limits and content filtering for children of various ages.
