McAfee

McAfee Corp. is an American global computer security software company with its headquarters in San Jose, California. Previously, the company was known as McAfee Associates Inc. from 1987 until 1997 and again from 2004 until 2014, Network Associates Inc. from 1997 until 2004, and Intel Security Group from 2014 until 2017.

Intel completed the acquisition of the firm in February 2011, and it was subsequently integrated into the Intel Security division.

In 2017, Intel entered into a strategic partnership with TPG Capital, as a result of which Intel Security was transformed into a joint venture between both firms named McAfee. Thoma Bravo acquired a share in the new firm, but Intel maintained its majority ownership of the business. In 2020, the owners of McAfee brought the company public on the NASDAQ; however, it was taken private once again in 2022 by an investment group headed by Advent International Corporation.

McAfee Associates was the original name of the corporation, which was established in 1987. The company was named after its founder, John McAfee, who later left the business. In the year 1992, McAfee became a corporation in the state of Delaware. McAfee resigned from his role as CEO of the firm in 1993 and took the job of chief technology officer before ultimately deciding to leave the company. In his stead, Bill Larson was elevated to the position of CEO. In 1997, McAfee Associates, Network General, PGP Corporation, and Helix Software merged to establish Network Associates, which was then known as Network Associates.

As a result of McAfee's brief ownership of TIS Labs/NAI Labs/Network Associates Laboratories/McAfee Research, the company was highly influential in the world of open-source software. This was due to the fact that the aforementioned organisations were responsible for producing portions of the Linux, FreeBSD, and Darwin operating systems.