Breaking News Latest News Updates Current News Todays e-Bulletins My News Wire Headlines

Security majors McAfee and Symantec, have been fined $750,000 in penalties and cost after it was discovered that they provided automatic subscription renewals and charged customer credit cards without their consent.

US Attorney General Andrew Cumo yesterday announced the settlement with Symantec and McAfee, after the companies agreed to reform practices, make detailed disclosures to consumers about subscription terms and renewal, and cough up the $750,000 fine.

“Companies cannot play hide the ball when it comes to the fees consumers are being charged. Consumers have a right to know what they are paying, especially when they are unwittingly agreeing to renewal fees that will not appear on their credit card bill for months. Symantec and McAfee - two of the nation s largest vendors of computer security software - will now have to be clear and up-front with their customers when it comes to renewal fees. In other words, no more hide the ball with renewal fees,” said Cumo in a press statement.

According to the Attorney General s office, the companies did not disclose to consumers that subscriptions would be automatically renewed and that consumers would be charged for subsequent subscriptions. Information about automatic renewal charges was not clearly disclosed, but was instead hidden at the bottom of long webpages or in the fine print of license agreements.

In addition, the investigation also revealed that both Symantec and McAfee made it difficult for consumers to contact the companies to opt out of automatic renewal or to request refunds for unauthorized credit card charges.

Under the settlement, Symantec and McAfee will clearly disclose to consumers any automatic renewal program and provide a transparent and automated means to opt out of renewal. The companies will provide electronic notification to consumers before and after renewal of the subscription and will provide refunds to consumers who request them within 60 days of being charged. The companies will clearly disclose the length of time that they will continue to support and provide updates to any purchased software.

McAfee’s Unified Management Threat (UTM) firewall will enable multifunctional network security appliances especially for SMEs.

“McAfee UTM firewall is a complete office network-in-a-box Internet security appliance that can be deployed as a firewall, VPN gateway, or UTM security appliance,” said Darrell Rodenbaugh, SVP of McAfee’s midmarket segment.

The new solution offers SMBs a range of security solutions in an integrated package with a platform for subscription-based security services to respond to cost-cutting initiatives, managing their risk, and meeting their compliance regulations programs.

UTM management firewall has web-based central control that allows active monitoring of intrusion detection, network events to alert network personnel, and supports 3G wireless support for a primary connection or backup/failover.

McAfee has declared that it will extend its security products to Intel based products like laptops and mobile internet devices.

McAfee will provide integrated data encryption for laptops and integrated mobile content security for MIDs-based on the Intel Atom processor Z5XX series and Moblin-based software. Additionally, McAfee unveiled plans to integrate McAfee’s security encryption with Intel’s anti-theft technology and active management technology to protect the data on a laptop in the event that it is stolen and an unauthorized user tries to access it.

Mobile internet devices are becoming popular in the industry as they enable the rich PC Internet experience in pocketable devices while running light weight operating systems such as Moblin Linux. Service providers see Moblin-based MIDs as a new way to deliver content and services to subscribers.

As MIDs rely on the open Internet to bring applications and services to people, they will be susceptible to similar security challenges as the PC, said McAfee in a media statement

“Intel’s low power technologies, in combination with McAfee’s experience in security solutions, should enable a more robust and secure solution for our customers,” said Pankaj Kedia, director of global ecosystem programs in Intel Corporation’s Ultra Mobility Group.

This latest security initiative will place McAfee data encryption on the Intel VPro hardware, leveraging Intel’s Anti-Theft Technology to disable laptops booted without authorization. If a laptop is lost or stolen the device will automatically shut down when the unauthorized user tries to access the data.

For more information: Mcafee-Intel Support