New all-in-one security software covers PCs to phones

msnbc.com - 9/27/2011
Suzanne Choney

Looks like the time has come: We all own so many dang digital devices that trying to protect them in various ways with various software has grown into a ginormous hassle. Now, McAfee Security is out with an all-in-one product that provides protection to PCs, Macs, tablets and smartphones.

McAfee may be the first major security player at bat on this unified security front, but others are coming for consumers. Kaspersky will have a similar product available next month, and Symantec in 2012, according to reports, says IT Pro.

McAfee's All Access is described by the company as the "first cross-device security solution that protects multiple Internet-enabled devices (PCs, Macs, smartphones, netbooks and tablets) under one annual plan." It costs $99.99 for individuals, and $149.99 for the household version.

Not that we need stats to back up the fact we all own a growing number of digital devices. We know it by the number of cords jammed in the corners of rooms around the house. But, McAfee compiled some stats for us, anyway:
•25 percent of "consumer Internet users now own at least five devices per household, with 60 percent owning at least three."
•41 percent spend "more than 20 hours per week using a digital device for personal use."
•Consumers "place an average value of $37,438 on the 'digital assets' they own across multiple digital devices, yet more than a third lack protection across all of those devices. In the U.S., people valued their assets at a higher figure than anywhere else, at nearly $55,000."
•"As a global average, respondents had 2,777 digital files stored on at least one digital device," with those files including music, photos, personal communications, personal records, resumes, portfolios, cover letters and email contacts.


The figures come from research firm MSI International, which surveyed more than 3,000 consumers in 10 countries.

"Despite the high value of their digital assets, people still aren’t securing every device they own," McAfee said. The survey found that more than 36 percent "don’t have security protection on all of their devices and 7 percent have no protection at all — leaving potentially thousands of dollars worth of digital assets at risk, if stored on an unprotected device."

How well an all-in-one security approach works remains to be seen. But with more of us stashing our digital files in various places, like phones and tablets, and not just computers, one-stop security shopping could be a plus.


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