Although McAfee's 2010 antivirus appeared in the fall of 2009 the new 2010 features didn't all trickle in until several months later. McAfee's continuous update system means that customers received the updates automatically, as soon as they were available, but PCMag couldn't review the product until they all arrived. McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2011 ($39.99 direct or $59.99 for three licenses) is available right now, with no waiting around for additional features.
The significant 2010 update included a user interface makeover and some serious feature changes. You won't see a lot of difference in the 2011 edition, and much of the enhancements that do exist aren't visible. You'll only notice the promised fewer interruptions and better handling of battery life by the problems you don't have, for example, and few will grasp the firewall's new ability to track UDP connections.
That new user interface introduced with the 2010 edition is rather different from the usual security product. It's smaller than most and oriented vertically rather than horizontally. Each of a stacked list of features expands with a click to reveal detailed status and configuration options.
McAfee's Navigation Center offers a different view of the program's features. In a single list it offers access to important tasks and settings within the program as well as links to McAfee's virus map, hacker watch, and other online resources. Some features such as the History and Logs link aren't easily accessible except through the Navigation Center.
That unusual vertical orientation doesn't play well in the History and Log window. This window stacks up nine distinct logging areas. If you're looking for evidence of a recent event but don't know which log to search you'll have to open each panel individually and scroll vertically to see what's what. I wish that each logging area's panel at least included a count of the items found in that log or a flag for recent activity.
At any time you can pull up a security report on the program's actions during the last 30 days. The report lists such statistics as the number of viruses detected and the number of programs blocked by the firewall but lacks links to get more detail beyond the bare numbers.
McAfee's antivirus includes a number of features normally associated with a full security suite rather than a standalone antivirus, a trend I've observed in other recent releases. Like Panda Antivirus Pro 2011 ($50.95 direct for three licenses, 3.5 stars) McAfee includes a personal firewall. Like BitDefender Antivirus Pro 2011 ($39.95 direct for three licenses, 3.5 stars) it lets you monitor and manage the configuration of other installations on your network. Where AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011 (Free, 3.5 stars) checks for dangerous links with its LinkScanner toolbar, McAfee relies on its SiteAdvisor toolbar.
Balky Installer
Installing McAfee on my thirteen malware-infested test systems was more of a challenge than I expected. One system installed but refused to update; fortunately the update problem vanished after a full scan. Five of the test systems encountered an "Unexpected error" that forced the full scan to restart, though they did eventually finish.
In many cases McAfee's real-time protection popped up right after installation reporting that it had deleted a Trojan or asking permission to remove a lower-risk threat. One sample, though, completely bamboozled McAfee. The real-time protection system detected it and requested a reboot to complete removal. After reboot it did the same again and again and again, without end. That won't impress users.
On one system McAfee's installer halted and ordered me to first uninstall an incompatible antivirus. In fact it was a fake antivirus, a scareware program. Not only does it lack an uninstall routine it actively fights removal. Refusing to install in this circumstance seems short-sighted to me.
McAfee tech support supplied a version of their Stinger utility optimized for use against fake antivirus, but it didn't do the job. In the end I had to sit on the phone for two hours while a McAfee technician cleaned up the system by remote control, drawing on a wide collection of non-McAfee tools. I got the program installed but I lost two hours of productive work. Norton AntiVirus 2011 ($39.99 direct, 4.5 stars) installed on these exact same test systems without incident, as did Webroot AntiVirus with Spy Sweeper 2011 ($49.99 direct for three licenses, 4.5 stars).
Mixed Lab Results
ICSA Labs and West Coast Labs test antivirus programs against a huge collection of malware samples. Both certify McAfee's antivirus technology for virus detection and removal; West Coast adds checkmark certification for detection of Trojans and general malware. McAfee didn't receive the VB100% aware in the very latest test by Virus Bulletin, but it got the award the other nine of its last ten attempts.
AV-Comparatives.org conducts ongoing antivirus tests, alternating on-demand virus removal tests with proactive detection tests. A product must achieve the STANDARD rating to pass; the best products rate ADVANCED or ADVANCED+. McAfee received an ADVANCED rating in the latest on-demand test but just STANDARD in the proactive test. In a one-time dynamic whole-product test last year McAfee also rated STANDARD.
AV-Test.org recently rated a collection of security programs on their ability to repair a malware-infested system, their usability, and their overall protection. Somehow McAfee rated 2 of 6 possible points for repair, 3.5 for usability, and 5 for overall protection. Kaspersky, Norton, and Panda all rated 5 or 5.5 in all categories.
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