Newsletter
As the first official day of MWC 2018 comes close to an end, prominent computer security company McAfee took the opportunity to unveil its newest Mobile Threats report and revealed several new partnerships. However, the most interesting news likely centers around McAfee’s newly announced partnership with Samsung since it partially centers around an effort to bolster security on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus even further. More specifically, the latest additions to Samsung’s flagship family will arrive with two of the same features as the Galaxy Note 8. Namely, McAfee VirusScan will come pre-installed and they will feature Samsung’s Secure Wi-Fi feature – which is built on a VPN service provided by McAfee. For those who may not know, VPN refers to protective measures that direct Wi-Fi activity through a virtual network in order to allow internet access while protecting a user’s privacy. However, the new agreement extends even further to cover Samsung’s smart TVs, PCs, and notebook computers.
McAfee also announced two new partnerships with Amazon and Telefónica. For Amazon, the deal means the launch of the McAfee Secure Home Platform Skill for its Alexa platform. The platform allows for easier management of a connected home’s network security and the option to enable parental controls via voice commands. On the other hand, the Telefonica partnership could have much wider implications since the telecom company actually has operations in Europe, Asia, and North America, Central America, and South America. Through the partnership, McAfee’s security platform will be built into all Telefonica routers for all customers so that the company can make an effort to provide the first line of defense for home networks. Meanwhile, McAfee’s endpoint solution will also be made available to keep Telefonica users safe outside of their home network.
With regard to the new McAfee Mobile Threats Report, the security company says that the still rapidly growing IoT is increasing the overall size of targets for malicious entities. Effectively, with more devices on a given network, there are more opportunities for that network to be breached, highlighting the need for more comprehensive security measures to fend off threats. That increase is coupled with a spike in targeted attacks on mobile from governments and malicious actors alike. Meanwhile, a growing interest in cryptocurrencies has resulted in both a more widespread proliferation of shady cryptocurrency companies and virtual heists involving legitimate cryptocurrencies. Finally, McAfee noted the detection of more than 16 million malware infestations on mobile devices over Q3 2017. Threats on that front have come from nearly every portion of the world and primarily center on monetary gain.