Excite@Home and McAfee.com this week teamed-up to enhance the leading cable access provider’s security at home.
InternetNews.com last week reported the two companies were expected to announce the offering in an effort to secure the connections of the growing number who are using cable modems and Digital Subscriber Line services.
Excite@Home (ATHM) plans to integrate McAfee.com (MCAF) services into its online safety area of member services. @Home users may sign-up for a 90-day free trial of McAfee.com’s personal firewall product.
Adam Grosser, Excite@Home president of subscriber networks, said it is
committed to bringing security tools to Excite@Home users.
“The @Home service is as secure as any slower, dial-up service, only now,
through our affiliation with McAfee.com, our customers can get added
features that provide deeper protection capabilities,” Grosser said.
Because cable broadband service operates as an “always on” connection to
the Internet customers have taken a greater interest in protecting their
online security.
Srivats Sampath, McAfee.com chief executive officer, said Excite@Home’s
addition of personal firewalls and intrusion detection capabilities would
shore-up users online security.
“Our McAfee Personal Firewall and Clinic services provide added peace of
mind to customers who are accessing and storing valuable information on the
PCs from the Internet,” Sampath said.
Application Service Provider McAfee.com also announced that it has agreed
to acquire Canada-based Signal9 Solutions Canada Inc for $18 million.
McAfee.com intends to incorporate Signal9’s personal firewalls and desktop
security applications into its service line-up in March. The anti-hacker
programming is designed for non-technical users to prevent outside access
to personal computer files.
Sampath said consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the various
threats posed by malicious behavior on the Internet.
McAfee.com plans to market its personal firewall services in much the same
manner it offers anti-virus programs.
