In the beginning, it was simple. A website, a database and 150M+ email addresses to search. Time has added serverless functions (which run on servers 🤷♂️), code on the edge, new data storage constructs and a completely different mechanism for even just querying a simple email address. HIBP is a continually evolving beast, and barely a week goes by that we don't implement code of significance. You don't always see it out there in the public realm, but the tweaks - in including the major one I talk about in this week's video - all add up to make the platform faster, more sustainable and if we do it right, even a bit more cost-effective to run 😊
McAfee Total Protection has been recognized with three major honors in the AV-TEST Best Awards 2025, receiving awards for Best Performance, Best Advanced Protection, and Best Usability.
Among consumer security products, McAfee was the only solution to receive both the Best Performance and Best Advanced Protection awards, highlighting its ability to deliver strong security while keeping everyday devices running smoothly.
The awards are issued by AV-TEST, an independent cybersecurity research institute that evaluates security products through thousands of lab tests each year.
Together, these recognitions reinforce what matters most for people using security software every day: protection that works quietly in the background without slowing down your system or interrupting your workflow.
Pretty big! The AV-TEST Awards recognize security products that deliver consistently strong results across independent testing throughout the year.
To qualify, products must demonstrate exceptional performance across multiple categories, including protection against modern threats, system performance impact, and usability.
In the 2025 test cycle, McAfee Total Protection earned recognition in three key areas.
Security software needs to protect your system without slowing it down.
In AV-TEST’s Windows performance testing, researchers measure how much a security solution impacts system resources during everyday tasks such as launching applications, installing programs, browsing the web, and copying files.
McAfee Total Protection earned the Best Performance Award for maintaining strong protection while keeping system impact minimal.
For users, that means protection that runs efficiently in the background so your PC stays responsive while you work, stream, or game.
Modern cyberattacks rarely rely on a single tactic. Today’s threats often combine multiple techniques, including ransomware, infostealers, and other advanced attack methods.
To evaluate how well security products handle these complex threats, AV-TEST runs Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) tests, which simulate real-world attacks using the latest techniques.
In the 2025 testing cycle, McAfee Total Protection delivered consistently strong results across these real-world attack scenarios, earning the Best Advanced Protection Award for consumer users.
These results demonstrate how multiple protection layers inside the product work together to detect and stop threats, even if an attack attempts to bypass initial defenses.
Strong security should also be easy to live with.
In AV-TEST’s usability tests, researchers evaluate how accurately a product distinguishes between legitimate files and malicious ones, while monitoring for false alarms.
McAfee Total Protection earned the Best Usability Award for its accurate threat detection and low rate of false positives.
That means fewer unnecessary alerts and interruptions, while still maintaining strong protection against real threats.
According to AV-TEST’s testing team, McAfee stood out across multiple categories in the 2025 evaluation.
“The team of the AV-TEST Institute is delighted to present McAfee with three of the highly coveted trophies. The manufacturer received recognition for its consistently efficient use of system resources, clear distinction between benign and malicious files, and strong results in Advanced Threat Protection testing.”
— Marcel Wabersky, Lead Mobile & Network Testing, AV-TEST
Independent testing plays an important role in helping consumers evaluate cybersecurity tools.
The AV-TEST Institute is an independent IT security research organization based in Germany and operating for more than 20 years. The institute runs one of the world’s largest testing laboratories dedicated to cybersecurity products.
From its headquarters in Magdeburg, Germany, AV-TEST researchers analyze new malware, study emerging attack techniques, and conduct large-scale comparative testing of security software used by both consumers and businesses.
These tests are designed to be standardized, transparent, and repeatable, allowing security products to be evaluated under the same conditions across multiple vendors.
The AV-TEST Best Awards recognize products that deliver consistently strong results across a full year of testing. Because the awards are based on sustained performance rather than a single test cycle, they are widely used as an indicator of long-term security reliability.
For McAfee users, these awards reinforce the goal behind McAfee Total Protection: delivering powerful protection that stays fast, accurate, and easy to use.
| FAQ |
| Q: What are the AV-TEST Best Awards?
A: The AV-TEST Best Awards are annual honors given by the independent cybersecurity testing institute AV-TEST. The awards recognize security products that deliver consistently strong results across a full year of testing in areas such as protection, performance, and usability. |
| Q: What awards did McAfee win in the AV-TEST Awards 2025?
A: McAfee Total Protection received three AV-TEST Best Awards for 2025: Best Performance, Best Advanced Protection, and Best Usability. McAfee was also the only consumer security product to receive both the Best Performance and Best Advanced Protection awards in the 2025 evaluation. |
| Q: What does the AV-TEST Best Performance award mean?
A: The AV-TEST Best Performance award recognizes security software that provides strong protection while using minimal system resources. AV-TEST measures how security products affect everyday activities such as launching programs, installing applications, browsing the web, and copying files. |
| Q: What is Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) testing?
A: Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) testing simulates real-world cyberattacks using techniques such as ransomware and infostealer malware. AV-TEST runs these scenarios to evaluate how well security products detect and stop attacks at multiple stages of an infection attempt. |
| Q: What does the AV-TEST Best Usability award measure?
A: The AV-TEST Best Usability award evaluates how accurately security software distinguishes between safe files and malicious threats. Products that score well demonstrate strong detection capabilities while minimizing false alarms and unnecessary alerts. |
| Q: Why do independent cybersecurity tests matter?
A: Independent cybersecurity testing organizations like AV-TEST evaluate security products using standardized and transparent testing methods. These tests help consumers compare protection tools based on measurable results rather than marketing claims. |
The post McAfee Wins 3 Major AV-TEST Awards for 2025 Security Performance appeared first on McAfee Blog.
This week in scams, the Pokémon Trainer pursuit to “catch ’em all” is being hijacked by criminals posting fake trading card listings online; duping buyers, including young collectors, out of hundreds of dollars.
Meanwhile, threatening email extortion scams claiming your personal data has been stolen are flooding inboxes around the world. And a viral “wedding photo” of Tom Holland and Zendaya shows how AI-generated images can blur the line between real and fake online.
Here’s what to know.
The booming market for collectible Pokémon cards has become a new target for scammers.
According to reporting from The Straits Times, Singapore police recently arrested a 25-year-old man suspected of running a series of e-commerce scams involving Pokémon trading cards. Victims reportedly lost more than $135,000 after paying for limited-edition cards that never arrived.
Authorities say the suspect allegedly advertised pre-orders for rare cards on the online marketplace Carousell. After receiving payment through bank transfers or digital payment apps, the seller either became unreachable or claimed there were delivery problems.
Police say at least 35 reports tied to the suspect have been filed since October 2025, and more broadly there have been over 600 reported Pokémon card e-commerce scams totaling more than $1.1 million in losses during that same period.
Collectibles create the perfect storm for online scams. Limited releases, hype, and rising resale values make buyers feel pressure to act quickly before items “sell out.” Scammers take advantage of that urgency.
If you’re buying trading cards or other collectibles online:
When demand spikes for a product, whether it’s sneakers, concert tickets, or Pokémon cards, scams usually follow.
Another scam spreading widely right now arrives in a much more intimidating format: a threatening email claiming hackers have stolen your personal data.
According to reporting from Fox News, many people are receiving messages that claim the sender has access to their passwords, files, or financial information. The message then demands payment in Bitcoin to prevent the data from being sold on the dark web.
At first glance, these emails can feel frightening. They often use dramatic language like:
But in most cases, there’s one major problem with the claim.
There’s no proof.
Security experts note that these messages usually include no screenshots, no passwords, and no evidence of a real breach. Instead, scammers send the same message to thousands of email addresses at once, hoping a small percentage of recipients will panic and pay.
Often, the scammers obtained your email address from old data breach lists circulating online, which makes the message feel more believable.
If you receive a threatening extortion email:
Reporting the message helps email providers improve spam filters and prevent similar scams from reaching others.
The biggest tactic here is fear. Once you slow down and evaluate the message, the scam usually falls apart.
A viral image circulating on social media this week claimed to show Tom Holland and Zendaya’s wedding, sparking massive speculation online.
But many viewers quickly suspected the image wasn’t real.
According to reporting on Yahoo Entertainment, the photo appeared to originate from a fan account on X (formerly Twitter) that claimed the image had been “confirmed” by major outlets like Vogue and Cosmopolitan. However, no such confirmation existed, and soon the official label was added marking the content as AI-generated.
Celebrity rumors already spread quickly online. Add generative AI to the mix, and fabricated images can travel even faster.
While a fake celebrity wedding photo may seem harmless, the same technology can easily be used in more serious ways.
AI-generated visuals are already being used to create:
The line between real and synthetic content is getting harder to spot.
If a viral image seems surprising or dramatic:
When something looks shocking online, that’s often exactly why it spreads. McAfee’s built-in Scam Detector can help you spot AI-generated audio and video.
A few simple habits can help reduce your risk across all three of these scenarios:
Scams today don’t always look like scams. They often look like exciting deals, urgent warnings, or AI depictions of people you trust.
The best defense is slowing down before clicking, paying, or sharing.
From collectible card fraud to email extortion campaigns and AI-generated viral content, the tactics scammers use may change, but the strategy is the same: manipulate emotion and urgency.
Stay skeptical, verify before you trust, and we’ll be back next week with another breakdown of the scams making headlines, and what they mean for your security.
The post This Week in Scams: Pokémon Card Cons, Email Extortion, and a Viral AI Wedding Photo appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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