When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I heard that many of our Defense customers would be working from home and immediately thought, “We have to help them do this securely.” Very quickly, however, another issue arose: How were some of them going to do it at all, as they were not set up to enable such an unparalleled transition to remote work environments?
While DoD had virtual private networks (VPNs) in place, some services needed 10 times the number of available seats on those VPNs. We immediately went to work assisting them in managing these massive needs while maintaining security at the same time. Since then, we’ve continued to support our customers in whatever ways they’ve needed, so they can accomplish their mission with a secure, remote workforce.
One way we’ve helped customers maintain their security is through an existing contract with DISA for DoD. Under the terms of this contract, McAfee enterprise software is installed on every managed endpoint across the DoD, and DoD employees have access to McAfee Total Protection software for their home use personal devices. Active DoD employees have access to a one-year subscription to McAfee Internet Security for PCs and Macs, preventing malicious attacks and keeping users safe while surfing and downloading files online.
Not surprisingly, the Home Use Program has been very popular with subscribers in the past couple of months. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, we quickly decided to go beyond our contract requirements and extend the Home Use Program to DoD contractors as well. The Department relies on a talented group of private contractors who sit alongside public sector employees and often perform the same jobs. It made sense to offer them the same at-home protections at no charge, and so we did so.
At McAfee we’ve been offering advice and assistance since day one of the pandemic. We’ve published several pieces containing advice for working remotely and staying safe, such as: “Working From Home? 5 Tips to Stay Secure,” “Staying Safe While Working Remotely,” and “Scams Facing Consumers in the New Digital WFH Landscape“.
We’re constantly looking for new ways to help our customers adjust to the changes we’ve all had to make over the last few months – changes that will likely influence how we work and serve those who depend on us long into the future. We’re determined to do whatever we can to assist in these transitions and to ensure that security is a central part of them.
For more information on the McAfee/DISA home use program, please see the DISA Antivirus for Home Use website: https://www.disa.mil/Cybersecurity/Network-Defense/Antivirus/Home-Use.
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