Review: McAfee LiveSafe

Introduction and features

If you're going to surf the web, you need to make sure your system is protected. After experiencing figurative spontaneous combustion of your hard drive thanks to malware, I'm sure most of us understand the pain of a vulnerable computer. We decided to put McAfee LiveSafe ($79.99, £50, AU$90) to the test of defending our devices from digital attack.

Let's start with arguably the best feature - LiveSafe lets you install the security suite on every PC, Mac and mobile device you have. This is a breath of fresh air from previous solutions that have provided a collection of separate security products. Instead, LiveSafe offers consistent protection across all of your devices.

Installation was a cinch - you simply use your product key to download and install the program on as many computer, tablets, and phones as you like. And there's no limit! LiveSafe is compatible with a variety of platforms, including Mac, PCs, and Android, Blackberry and iOS devices. Unfortunately, it's still not available for Windows Phones (weirdly enough) or Chromebooks, but this will likely change in the not-so distant future as the market shifts.

Interface and protection

In terms of interface and usability, the experience is pretty seamless and no-frills. We tested the solution on Mac OS and the design is uninspired (unusual for Mac applications) and somewhat dated. The most important information is displayed in the main window with color-coded information that quickly lets you know if your computer is vulnerable or secure. Access to protection to viruses, web content, spyware and email is easily accessible, as well as basic account information like subscription status and expiration date, with the option to renew.

We loved the ability to download McAfee SafeKey, which creates and stores unique, secure passwords and syncs them across all your devices. It installs as an add-on to your web browser or as an app on your mobile devices.

Protection with LiveSafe includes anti-malware, anti-virus, and hardware-enhanced antitheft protection (similar to Apple's Find My iPhone). The anti-theft protection lets you locate and remotely lock lost or stolen devices, protect against uninstalls and remotely secure data - this is great for smartphones and tablets we may leave behind accidentally. This is an interesting feature additions to LiveSafe as opposed to its predecessors, previously only available for mobile devices, and now available for some PCs.

Flaws and final verdict

There are still a few things missing that competitors include in their internet security suites. The most obvious being the lack of backup (online or local). This might make some consumers want to consider McAfee Total Protection 2015, which includes 5GB of online storage through Mozy. Plus, there's not much to signal your device needs a "tune-up," aside from a vulnerability scanner that alerts the user of out-of-date applications.

When running scans with LiveSafe on a Mac system, the scans ran rather quickly and efficiently. Although, admittedly, the Mac version of this software is a shadow of the PC one. This isn't a complete loss as Mac OS is generally a bit more resilient to malware. There doesn't seem to be any noticeable fingerprinting as, when we repeated scans, LiveSafe scanned the same number of files. Plus, we were able to run scans in the background without any noticeable resource drain, which is a huge advantage despite being a hefty 170MB.

Price-wise they've even taken it a notch down, where previous versions like All Access costs $99.99 per year with the price to protect all systems in a household reaching $149.99, LiveSafe is currently available for $79.99 per year for the whole household to be covered. You can even get a deal of $19.99 for the first year when purchasing a qualified PC or tablet (i.e., Intel Ultrabook). Another perk if you purchase with the eligible PCs - a McAfee tip and help hotline in addition to the 24/7 tech support all customers get.

We liked

Having full coverage security across every PC, Mac and mobile device in your household is an amazing feature - it's economical and consistent. Plus, the anti-theft feature is a great addition to the suite, as it was previously only available on mobile.

We disliked

While the unlimited number of devices per subscription is a great deal, the exclusion of Windows phones and Chromebooks from protection leaves some family members in the lurch when it comes to protecting their devices.

Final verdict

Antivirus programs used to be simple - we protect our PCs because they were our main (possibly only) portal to the web. McAfee has adjusted smoothly to the transition to a multi-screen world with a security suite that offers protection for every aspect of your digital life.

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