McAfee
Consumer cybersecurity subscriptions for device, identity and privacy protection.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- McAfee, LLC
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Founded
- 1987
- Headquarters
- 6220 America Center Drive, San Jose, California 95002, USA
- Company size
- >5,000
- Market role
- B2C Consumer App / Platform
- Official website
- mcafee.com
What McAfee does
McAfee operates a recurring-revenue software model built around direct-to-consumer digital security subscriptions. It packages multiple protection layers into tiered plans, acquires users through its brand and online distribution, then seeks to increase lifetime value through renewals, family plans, and upgrades into higher-priced bundles with broader identity and privacy features.
Category differentiation
This is the consumer cybersecurity company, not an adtech, martech, or enterprise SaaS vendor in the provided ontology. It is distinct from pure antivirus point products because its current offer is a broader consumer protection bundle covering identity, privacy and scam prevention.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
McAfee is a US-based consumer cybersecurity software company focused on protecting individuals and families across devices, identity, privacy, and online activity. Its current product portfolio is centred on subscription plans such as McAfee+ and Total Protection, alongside related tools including VPN, password management, identity theft protection, scam detection, mobile security, and PC optimisation. The company primarily serves end consumers rather than enterprise IT teams. The business makes money mainly through annual subscription plans with tiered pricing, introductory discounts, auto-renewal, and feature-based upselling. Premium bundles increase revenue per household by adding identity monitoring, insurance-backed restoration services, VPN, and broader device coverage. Financially, McAfee is a large private company following its 2022 take-private transaction by an investor group led by Advent International and Permira.
Company news briefing
Briefing updated:
Under Advent International’s ownership and executive leadership, McAfee continues to address emerging AI-driven security challenges, highlighting research that estimates deepfake voice scams could cost Americans nearly $40 billion annually. Meanwhile, the company faced scrutiny following an LG monitor software update that installed unsolicited McAfee trial pop-ups via Microsoft's Hardware Support App framework without clear user consent, drawing legal attention from authorities including the Texas Attorney General.
Business model & monetisation
The company monetises chiefly through subscription-based consumer security plans sold on annual terms. Commercial mechanics include tiered packages, discounted first-year pricing, higher auto-renewal pricing, standalone utilities, and upsells into premium identity, VPN, and family coverage. Revenue is therefore primarily SaaS-style subscription income from consumers, with add-on and bundle expansion increasing average contract value.
- Consumer security subscriptions
- Annual recurring software subscription
- Premium identity protection tiers
- Higher-priced subscription upsell
- VPN and privacy tools
- Bundled or standalone subscription add-on
- Utility and optimisation tools
- Bundled or standalone subscription add-on
Products & capabilities
No products with linked sources are available in this view.
Products & market categories
Media Channel
Technology
Competitors & alternatives
- Aura
Consumer subscription platform for identity, privacy and family digital safety.
Side-by-side comparisons
Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
McAfee Newsroom Refresh Highlights New Product Era and Executive Hire
Recorded impact score: 4/5
McAfee's newsroom page has been redesigned, featuring a new video, updated press releases including 'McAfee Unveils a New Era of Consumer Protection for Today’s AI-Driven World' (Sep 29, 2026) and 'Brian Herb Joins McAfee as Chief Financial Officer' (Jun 10, 2026), plus refreshed blog and report sections.
LG Update Allegedly Installs Unwanted McAfee Software
Privacy · Recorded impact score: 3/5
LG is under scrutiny after reports that certain LG monitors installed an application via a Windows-driven update that displayed unsolicited McAfee trial pop-ups without a consent dialog. US channel Gamers Nexus documented the issue after buying an UltraGear 34GX900A-B, observing McAfee pop-ups on 31 of 32 boots and reporting the app requested broad system access. LG says the installs used Microsoft's Hardware Support App framework and that its App Installer has been running since 2024; the company denies programs were installed without user consent and says McAfee advertising was removed on July 13, 2026. Journalists and researchers raised privacy and GDPR concerns, citing possible data-collection permissions and voice-recording language in LG's webOS terms. The episode has revived scrutiny from media and legal authorities, including action by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
- Gamers Nexus bought an LG UltraGear 34GX900A-B and observed McAfee pop-ups on 31 of 32 consecutive boots.
- The app was delivered via a Windows update using Microsoft's Hardware Support App framework; LG says its App Installer has run since 2024.
Explore company relationships
Questions about McAfee
What is McAfee?
McAfee is a consumer cybersecurity software company that sells subscription products for device security, identity protection, privacy, VPN and scam detection.
Who uses McAfee?
Its main users are individual consumers and families who want digital protection across PCs, phones, browsing, passwords and identity risks.
How does McAfee make money?
It mainly earns recurring revenue from annual consumer subscriptions, with higher-value plans and add-ons increasing spend per household.
Sources & coverage
This profile uses public, official and technically observable information. Missing information does not prove that a product or relationship does not exist. The list below does not imply that every profile statement has been verified.
20 publicly documented primary sources and citations linked across the market graph.
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