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Passing the red shield: Intel Security to replace McAfee brand

As Intel rebrands its security group, McAfee will finally lose its brand name, an entire decade after its founder John McAfee resigned.
Written by Michael Lee, Contributor

John McAfee's rather publicly known frustrations at being associated with the security company he founded but sold off will soon come to an end, with Intel planning to rebrand the acquired group.

Making the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said that McAfee products will now be rebranded to fall under its newly unveiled Intel Security group.

Intel will retain McAfee's iconic red shield symbol.

As part of the transition, some parts of McAfee's mobile offerings will be made available at no cost. No specific details have been released, except that they will be available for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

"Intel's intent is to intensify our efforts dedicated to making the digital world more secure, and staying ahead of threats to private information on mobile and wearable devices," Krzanich said.

Intel also noted in a statement that Android-based devices have been barred from corporate bring-your-own-device policies due to differences in security requirements and features offered by the operating system. Intel Security plans to introduce an Intel Device Protection offering later this year to fill this gap.

McAfee's founder welcomed the rebrand.

"I am now everlastingly grateful to Intel for freeing me from this terrible association with the worst software on the planet. These are not my words, but the words of millions of irate users," he told BBC news.

"My elation at Intel's decision is beyond words."

McAfee was purchased by Intel for $7.68 billion in 2010.

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