Is McAfee SccurityScan Plus Worth Your Time?

McAfee SecurityScan Plus

You may have seen it when downloading some free software to view media, documents or whatever-you-will. McAfee has effectively released a scanning tool of sorts – SecurityScan Plus – that asks to scan your computer for threats. But what kind of threats are we talking about? The usual cyberthreats, or something else entirely? Well, from what I have been able to gather, this supposedly-useful scanner only does a half-baked job thereof. As such, trying to recommend gibbedly-glock like this isn’t just tough – it’s borderline impossible! Just one look at my personal experiences and you’ll know how I feel about this and you’ll understand.

So What’s the Big Deal, Anyway?

Simply put, Security Scan Plus simply checks if you’re running security software rather than checking for actual problems. It’s something that recent Windows versions already do to begin with, save for a preference towards McAfee products. We’re talking adware, people (and not the kind of adware that used to be prevalent with non-stop, in your face advertisements, but an executable “adlication” if you will). This is not the real deal by any means; you still need actual, real-deal security software instead of worthless adverproducts like this. So why the gibbidley-glock do we need to be pointed towards options to install anything like this when adding a useful app to our computers (like Flash plugins or even Adobe Reader, of which either one may ask you to install this crap from their respective download pages)? As if anti-malware scams are bad enough! Just look at the following screenshot and you’ll see what I mean:

So Why Even Bother?

Put it this way: this is extreme technology marketing gone horribly wrong. Especially from a well-established information security outfit like McAfee, this not only hits borderline – it actually crosses that very same line! As it is, even all of the fake anti-malware doesn’t even go this far, yet a respectable company does? Again, what the gibbidely-glock is up with this!?

Granted, I can respect these people to know a thing or two about securing our technology – In fact, I even use their virus scanners and firewall software on my own computer – but this is beyond ridiculous! Who wants a free downloadable to check for vulnerabilities in protection – and not where it really counts (read: where the hackers are going to get you)? Even AVG and Avast! provide at least some level of real-deal protection at zero cost whatsoever!

Bottom line: Even if it’s from a reputable information security outfit like McAfee, don’t simply trust any one particular thing to chance. You absolutely have to get the real deal even if you have to pay for it up front. You’ll thank me later.