Dell and McAfee Offer Enhanced Single Security Solution to Help Consumers and Small Businesses Combat Spyware, Viruses, Spam

Dell and McAfee Offer Enhanced Single Security Solution to Help Consumers and Small Businesses Combat Spyware, Viruses, Spam

McAfee SecurityCenter, With New Spyware Detection and Removal, Ships Standard on Dell Dimension Desktops and Inspiron Notebooks

ROUND ROCK, Texas and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Dell today began shipping the new McAfee(R) SecurityCenter, the first comprehensive security solutions bundle factory-installed on personal computers to help protect consumers and small businesses against potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) commonly referred to as spyware or adware.

The McAfee SecurityCenter bundle, developed in close partnership with Dell, features the enhanced McAfee(R) VirusScan(R) 2005 that now helps detect and can remove PUPs such as spyware, adware and dialers, and provides advanced, real-time protection against viruses, mass-mailing worms and Trojans. The bundle also includes McAfee(R) Personal Firewall Plus, McAfee(R) Privacy Service and McAfee(R) SpamKiller. These tools also specifically address phishing scams, fraudulent emails disguised as notification from respected brands that lure recipients into providing personal or financial information, and malicious spam that can lead to identity theft.

The recommended bundle of security products is available as a 15-month subscription and is priced at $69 for customers buying new Dell Dimension(TM) desktops or Inspiron(TM) notebooks. The price point is more than 50 percent off the manufacturer's price of the products if purchased separately(1).

Buying McAfee SecurityCenter direct from Dell provides customers the convenience of preinstalled software, benefit of automatic updates, confidence in Dell's extensive testing, and knowledge that Dell only recommends products from industry leading vendors. Existing Dell customers who currently subscribe to McAfee SecurityCenter can receive the added anti-spyware functionality through an automatic update of McAfee VirusScan at no additional charge. Dell strongly recommends that customers who have let their security software subscription expire purchase the enhanced McAfee bundle to help ensure they are protected from online threats.

"In talking with our customers, we know they want to buy one security product that can protect them from spyware, viruses and other online threats. In partnership with McAfee, we are providing consumers and small businesses with the affordable single security solution they have been asking for," said Mike George, vice president and general manager of Dell's U.S. Consumer business. "We are ecstatic about making this product available and are anxious to see the affect it will have in improving our customers' online experiences."

Spyware-related issues have been one of the top reasons for customers to call Dell technical support since early 2004. McAfee also noted the steady increase of spyware detected on users' computer systems over the past year and responded by incorporating additional anti-spyware functionality into the latest version of the McAfee VirusScan service. New features include:

* Enhanced overall detection and removal of PUPs -- including adware
programs that trigger annoying advertisements and sap system
performance;

* Extension of PUPs -- spyware, adware, dialers, and other potentially
unwanted programs -- detection of inbound and outbound e-mail and
Instant Message scanning;

* Integration with the McAfee VirusScan engine, resulting in faster PUP
scanning;

* McAfee AVERT threat monitoring of PUPs;

* Detection of Web dialers through heuristic methodologies;

* Addition of PUP detection to McAfee VirusScan's "scheduled scan";

* Automatic updates for PUP detection through the current signature file
update mechanism.



"The Dell-recommended McAfee security solutions bundle was designed specifically with the Dell customer in mind," said Bill Kerrigan, senior vice president, McAfee Consumer. "We are glad to be working with Dell to provide consumers improved control over their PCs and simple, easy-to-use, comprehensive protection against increasingly sophisticated Internet threats that may compromise their privacy or identity online."

Effective security software and customer education are two of the most critical steps the industry can take to curtail the spread of spyware and other online threats, according to George. In July, Dell launched an aggressive PC Security customer education campaign, and in October, announced its partnership with the Internet Education Foundation (IEF) to launch the Consumer Spyware Initiative (CSI). The CSI's goal is to reach the 63 million U.S. consumer broadband users with spyware education information in the next year.

To learn more about Dell security initiatives, visit www.dell4me.com/security, and for information on McAfee security products visit www.mcafee.com. Additional information on the products included in the McAfee(R) SecurityCenter suite is attached.

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) is a premier provider of products and services required for customers worldwide to build their information-technology and Internet infrastructures. Company revenue for the past four quarters totaled $47.3 billion. Dell, through its direct business model, designs, manufactures and customizes products and services to customer requirements, and offers an extensive selection of software and peripherals. Information on Dell and its products can be obtained at www.dell.com.

About McAfee, Inc.

McAfee, Inc. (NYSE:MFE), headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., creates best-of-breed intrusion prevention and risk management solutions. McAfee's market-leading security products and services help large, medium and small businesses, government agencies, and consumers prevent intrusions on networks and protect computer systems from critical threats. Additionally, through the Foundstone Professional Services division, leading security consultants provide security expertise and best practices for organizations. For more information, McAfee, Inc. can be reached at 972-963-8000 or on the Internet at http://www.mcafee.com/.

Pricing, specifications, availability, and terms of offers may change without notice. Taxes, fees and shipping charges are extra, and vary. Dell cannot be responsible for pricing or other errors, and reserves the right to cancel orders arising from such errors.

(1) Comparison based on manufacturer's retail price as of 11/24/04.

Dell is a trademark of Dell Inc.
Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.



The Dell-recommended McAfee(R) SecurityCenter suite will include the following McAfee 2005 security solutions:

McAfee VirusScan

McAfee(R) VirusScan(R) provides advanced, real-time protection against known viruses, mass-mailing worms, Trojans, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) such as spyware, adware and dialers. It helps protect against the threats that originate from e-mail, instant messaging, Internet downloads, file sharing programs, and Web surfing, automatically detecting and cleaning infected files before they can attack your system. Whether you're a novice computer user or pro, McAfee VirusScan provides the ultimate in PC protection with is award-winning threat prevention technology. Automatic and virtually effortless, the software provides a safe and worry-free online experience.

McAfee Personal Firewall Plus

Protect yourself online with the advanced security of McAfee(R) Personal Firewall Plus. Easy to install and use, yet highly configurable, it monitors your Internet connection for unauthorized access, no matter how you connect -- DSL, cable modem, satellite, dial-up or wireless. With advanced intrusion prevention, color-coded security alerts and detailed logging, McAfee Personal Firewall Plus helps put you in control of communications to and from your PC, for a safe and worry-free online experience. Automatic updates keep you way ahead of hackers and snoops, making McAfee Personal Firewall Plus the effortless way to protect your PC and personal data.

McAfee Privacy Service

McAfee(R) Privacy Service helps secure your personal information while providing greater control over your family's Internet experience, including online advertisement blocking, inappropriate content filtering, and other content controls. Privacy Service helps ensure that you do not expose confidential information to online threats such as "phishing" or other online scams. Easy to use, Privacy Service builds an encrypted database of personal information you do not want submitted over the Internet, ensuring your or your family's safety. Once configured to fit your specific needs, you'll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your privacy is protected.

McAfee SpamKiller

Get the e-mail you want and eradicate the junk. McAfee(R) SpamKiller(R) employs a technologically superior, multi-layered filtering engine to help keep your e-mail inbox spam-free. Unsolicited, fraudulent and inappropriate e-mail messages are increasing at a rapid pace. Consequently, anti-spam protection is an essential layer of defense in an effective security strategy. No other e-mail filtering solution offers such a comprehensive set of features, and advanced detection and reporting options. Whether you want to eliminate spam as quickly and easily as possible, or gain the power to fight back, McAfee SpamKiller is the solution for you.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040426/MCAFEELOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: McAfee, Inc.

CONTACT: Shawn Wolfe of McAfee, Inc., +1-408-992-8252,
shawn.wolfe@mcafee.com; or Jennifer J. Davis of Dell Inc., +1-512-723-3091,
jennifer_j_davis@dell.com

Web site: http://www.mcafee.com/
http://www.dell.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/124004.html


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