MCAFEE, INC. LAUNCHES THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE PERSONAL IDENTITY PROTECTION PRODUCT FROM A LEADING SECURITY COMPANY

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 14, 2010 – McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE), the world’s largest dedicated security company, today announced that it has launched McAfee® Identity Protection, one of the most comprehensive and easy to use identity protection services on the market. The product features proactive identity surveillance which keeps consumers’ identities safe by providing multiple layers of protection, including monitoring the major credit reporting agencies and public records as well as Internet scanning for indicators of identity theft.

Javelin Research reports that individuals who took six or more months to detect fraud suffered more than 14 times the cost of those victims who discovered fraud in its early stages.1 McAfee Identity Protection alerts users of potential threats to their identities, ultimately saving them both time and money.

“There have been more victims of identity theft in the last year than any other time in the past six years2 and consumers repeatedly rank identity theft as a top concern because of the substantial remediation costs,” said Todd Gebhart, executive vice president of McAfee consumer, mobile and small business. “To address this market need, McAfee has created a product that is truly customer-focused and proactive. We put victims first, offering a best-in-class fraud resolution service that provides unlimited support, and the strongest collection of identity monitoring and alerting capabilities in the industry. In combination with a McAfee PC security suite, McAfee Identity Protection offers complete personal and online identity protection.”

Industry Statistics

  • 59 percent of identity theft happens through lost or stolen wallets and criminals ‘dumpster diving’ to get financial records and other sensitive personal information3
  • The average fraud amount per victim is $4,8414
  • 50 percent of victims do not discover  that someone has stolen their identity for  several months or years, according to the 2009 ITRC Aftermath Study
  • For as little as $20, criminals can purchase a fake Social Security card at “ID mills” around the country5
  • Every year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) receives eight to nine million earnings reports where the name doesn’t match the Social Security number6

Consumers at Risk:  McAfee Identity Theft Risk Assessment Tool Findings

McAfee also released findings from its Identity Theft Risk Assessment Tool, a free service that can help consumers determine how they are leaving themselves and their identities at risk. McAfee evaluated responses over a nine-month time frame with more than 5,743 participants:

  • 47 percent of respondents carry their Social Security card with them at all times. Experts say this is alarming, as lost/stolen wallets account for a large portion of identity theft
  • 88 percent of consumers have responded to emails and instant messages from people they do not know. McAfee Labs researchers warn against this, as cybercriminals develop elaborate scams to steal consumers’ information through email scams

McAfee Identity Protection Key Benefits

McAfee is the only company to offer a full range of identity protection services including credit and public records monitoring, Internet scanning, alerts, lost wallet protection, identity restoration services, a $1 million product guarantee, and Internet security products to address online identity theft.

Comprehensive Detection: The proactive identity surveillance capability constantly scans multiple sources for indicators of identity theft. This includes millions of Internet black market sites, chat rooms, blogs, and emails where identity thieves obtain stolen personal information. Additional monitoring of public records and change of address databases assists in the early warning of potential identity theft.  McAfee Identity Protection also includes daily monitoring of all three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) to quickly detect and alert consumers to any red flags associated with their credit file such as new account creation or delinquent payments.  

Effortless Protection Against Theft: McAfee Identity Protection is designed to give consumers an effortless way to protect themselves and quickly resolve issues associated with their identity. The product will alert users by email or text when potentially suspicious activity is detected, and lost wallet protection helps users safeguard their credit/debit card accounts by assisting customers in canceling and ordering replacement cards.  McAfee Identity Protection also allows customers to stay on top of their credit reports with unlimited access to Experian credit reports.

Complete Resolution and $1 Million Product Guarantee: Dedicated fraud resolution experts work with consumers beginning to end to help fix identity theft issues. McAfee Identity Protection is designed to provide peace of mind and also includes a $1 million product guarantee if the product fails and a subscriber is ever victimized while his or her membership is active.

Easy to Use: Leveraging McAfee’s expertise in creating consumer-friendly security products, McAfee Identity Protection features an intuitive interface that clearly displays users’ personal identity health as well as actions required. The Web-based McAfee Identity Protection requires no software installation and is available anywhere with an Internet connection.

McAfee Identity Protection is priced at $109.99 for an annual subscription, or $9.99 on a monthly basis for an individual account. Consumers can also select the family option which includes coverage for the subscriber, another adult in the household and children for an annual subscription of $199.99 or $16.99 on a monthly basis. McAfee expects to offer product bundles of McAfee Identity Protection with McAfee core security products in the second half of this year.

McAfee Identity Protection was co-developed with Experian’s ProtectMyID.com, a leading, full-service provider of identity theft detection, protection and fraud resolution. McAfee is not a credit repair organization and McAfee Identity Protection is not a credit repair service. McAfee Identity Protection cannot remove legitimate credit history information from a consumer’s credit report.

McAfee Taps Identity Theft Expert Robert Siciliano

McAfee also announced it has recruited leading identity theft expert and author, Robert Siciliano, as a McAfee consultant and identity protection expert. Mr. Siciliano consulted on the development of McAfee Identity Protection product, and will continue to team with McAfee to drive awareness about identity theft risks. Consumers can read his blog at www.mcafee.com/id-theft-expert.

“I’ve been in the business for more than two decades and I’ve watched identity thieves become increasingly savvy and relentless,” said Siciliano. “The tales I’ve heard would boggle your mind. Most of the time, consumers don’t even know they’ve been victimized, making the damages more devastating and increasing the hours it takes to resolve the issue. In some case, it can take up to three years to clear your name. Consumers have to wake-up to the dangers.”

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