Award-winning antivirus software protects your data and devices

Malware is a term for any type of malicious software, regardless of how it works, its intent or how it’s distributed. A virus is a specific type of malware that self-replicates by inserting its code into other programs. There are many ways cybercriminals distribute malware and viruses, but the most common are malicious emails and websites.

Fake antivirus software is one of the most persistent threats on the internet today. Masquerading as legitimate antivirus software, these malicious programs extort money from you to “fix” your computer. This new “antivirus” program even disables legitimate security software that you already have, leaving you exposed to real threats. These rogue programs catch unsuspecting users by displaying a browser popup that warns you that your computer may be infected, and that you need to download a (fake) security software to fix the problem.

This type of malware is often referred to as “scareware” since the pop-ups use messages like “You have a virus,” as a way to get you to click. Most of us are eager to get rid of any potential problems as quickly as possible, which opens a huge window of opportunity for these bad actors. If successful, the cybercriminals get your credit card details and other personal information, and you get nothing but malware in return.

When you purchase a qualifying McAfee antivirus suite and opt-in for automatic renewal, you will gain access to our Virus Protection Pledge. With this, you have our 100% guarantee that if a supported device gets a virus, a McAfee expert will remove it. If we can’t, we will offer a refund on your purchase price. From the moment you subscribe, you can rest easy knowing that we’re here to help keep your devices virus-free with our multi-layered protection. Learn more about our pledge here.

McAfee products offer real-time, on-demand, and scheduled scanning, allowing you to automatically or manually scan your device for malware and other threats while keeping your data private and protected. Our antivirus software also includes identity monitoring.

Installing and downloading McAfee

Only install a safe and legitimate McAfee antivirus product purchased through our website, partner outlets, or legitimate application stores. Our free trial instantly provides basic protection after download and installation. You can get a free trial here. Our premium antivirus products can be purchased online and easily activated at McAfee.com/activate with the product code and your email. After you have installed the product, you can follow the steps that appear on your device as we help you improve your online protection.

Scanning for threats using McAfee’s antivirus

Once installed, McAfee gives you real-time protection against malware, ransomware, spyware, and more. You can initiate an automatic or manual virus scan through our Real-Time Scanning, an active scanning process that happens in the background while you use your device; On-Demand Scanning, a quick scan of your drives and folders; or Scheduled Scanning, an initiated scan at a predetermined time. We recommend scheduling regular scans, so you don’t have to worry about manually scanning your device for threats. If anything’s amiss, we’ll inform you right away and take the necessary steps to isolate and remove threats, and ultimately secure your device.

Need help removing a virus? Try our Virus Removal Service here.