McAfee Total Protection Beta

Hi All,
McAfee McAfee Total Protection Beta 3.0 is available for beta testing from McAfee Beta Homepage.
For Home user products only McAfee Total Protection is available for beta. Other McAfee variants are NOT available.

I have not been able to find, what are the improvements in the new version. But I am listing whatever info I could find:

Let see what McAfee has been cooking for summer of 2009.

Note: I am still downloading the setup files using McAfee Installer. Its too slow. If someone can find a direct link to the files, please post them.

 

has you any screenshot?

 

1 hr gone , still McAfee Installer is downloading the files. Its downloading 33408 KB file at avg 4KB/s

It will take me atleast another hour to have the damn thing downloaded. And then if everything goes, OK ... I'll post the screenshots.

 

Does anyone know if the new version will tax the CPU even more, or if it will take more memory ?

Is it basically the same product with some changes, or is it a (nearly) complete rewrite ?

 

Status Update:
After the slow download of 33MB. McAfee ran an initial scan on my system. And surprisingly found no threats....

Now its downloading program files 42317 Kb at 6 Kb/s.
Looks like McAfee is hosting the beta files off some server, they have in the closet !! 7 Kb/s .... Just give me the direct link to use FlashGet ...


Why do I get the feeling that before I finish my installation, someone is going to post 'McAfee 2009 released'

 

The beta for McAfee Total Protection 3.0 is already over. And (I thought) it should be coming in september.
From the beta newsletter about MTP3.0:

 

Well, you can still register on the McAfee Beta Home.

From my McAfee Beta Dashboard, I see build Release:08/07/2008
So was this also the last build you tested ?

Also please provide your feedback on the product to the forum. If you have any details of the changes done in this version. Please give details, since I am clueless on that.

(Moderators: I didn't find any thread for Mcafee TP v3 beta in my search on Wilders. If I missed the thread, please re-direct as needed)

Guest:
I have installed the darn thing, its running smoothly till now ... I'll post screenshots and other info in a few moments.

 

Well, Donenzone I was partially correct

Yes, I do now. Please see below screenshots of McAfee Security Center (Main), AV options, McAfee About (program versions)







---- EDIT ----
Note:The tool 'McAfee Virtual Technician seen in McAfee Security Center, is a bug report tool. No new sec.app ...

 

Well, it seems to be decent. Not ultra light, but on-par with most other AV suites. My computer doesn't seem sluggish.

I have not been able to find the changelog for this new version. Maybe Donenzone can help.

On my system the complete suite uses 60 MB of memory. On-Demand Scan component alone, takes the lion share of 40 MB.

 

Thanks for the screenshots.From them i don't notice any changes .Looks the same to me with the 2008 version.While i was using that it ran smooth on my system(xp back then),only the gui took longer to open.I thought i read here on wilders that they will introduce some new technologies .

 

Sorry, I can't find one either. McAfee doesn't publish changelogs, all they do is say which area needs to be tested, and frankly, I haven't tested it really good. What I can tell you, though, is that the interface is slightly revised, it probably has Artemis and that the standard settings of the firewall are still too low IMO (not Stealth).

 

Yup, from what I have been able to gather:
For Security Center ver. 8 to 9 : Changes include modification in GUI and Alert Mechanism.

For Virus Scan ver. 12 to 13: Changes included optimization of engine with Rootkit protection (McAfee X-RAY) now inbuilt into engine and inclusion of McAfee Artemis.
More details on McAfee Artemis:
See AV-Comparative Review and McAfee Avert Lab

As per info from McAfee forum:

For Firewall ver 9 to 10 : Improvement of IDS and enhanced Smart Recommendations in Firewall

 

Hi

I thought stealthing is not necesary for security?

Thanks

 

Stealthing ports does zero for security. Closed is good enough, contrary to all the misinformation that exists.

 

Correct - just to emphasize this point for new readers.

Blue

 

Doesn't it work as a precaution? If they can't see you, they won't attack? BTW, the McAfee 2009 firewall also grants out-going acces to every program by default.

 

Regarding stealth being useful or not: this could be discussed without end.
Two sides of the fence. I still like my partially stealthed router.

That the McAfee firewall doesn't filter outgoing traffic is probably to make it 'easier' for the users, and to decrease the burden on McAfee's 'support' staff.

 

It could be discussed, but the discussion is pointless. Stealthed ports do not provide one iota of added security as opposed to closed. Experts know that and amateurs don't.

 

No

Unfortunately, that's not how it works. You are known to be present, but do not respond, when stealthed. The difference is akin to "I'm here, but closed" vs. "I'm here. but not saying anything". I know you're there, but I don't have any explicit information of what services you may be running. Of course, in a automated shotgunned approach to compromise, that really doesn't matter at the end of the day.

Blue

 

Well it seems, McAfee feels that if a program is shown clean as per malware scanner its deemed to be free to connect.
To double-check that 0-day malware don't use this, you have Artemis and SystemGuards.

This as per them is good enough for most home users. But power users can always change that if they feel so.

 

Just looked up McAfee Forums

So beta is still on

 

Okay, thanks for the clarification.

 

If only a few ports were stealthed, the rest closed, couldn't that be useful ?

It's a long time ago since I did a 'ShieldsUp' test, but I believe a 'Netbios' port of my router is stealted, and wouldn't it be useful if an attacker wouldn't get certain crucial information ?

Most ports of my router are closed, a few stealthed, default configuration.

 

See Blue's post #19 above, that pretty much says it all. There is no "crucial information" to be gotten either way...

 

Slightly offtopic: What happen with Virus Scan only? I can only puyrchase The plus version with firewall on their site.

Another thing, unlike Symantec - Do they use their own technology 4 everythingh?