McAfee was found dead in a Spanish prison cell after a suspected suicide. He was due to be extradited to the US to stand trial for tax evasion and money laundering. Credit: Ng Han Guan / AP / Shutterstock Antivirus pioneer John McAfee was found dead in a Spanish prison cell on Wednesday June 24, 2021. According to Spanish authorities, the cause of the 75-year-old’s death was suicide.The British-born, outspoken millionaire was being held in Barcelona after being arrested in October 2020 on charges of US tax evasion. In March this year, McAfee was indicted by the US Department of Justice on charges of conspiracy to commit commodities and securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities and touting fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and substantive wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy offenses stemming from two schemes relating to the fraudulent promotion to investors of cryptocurrencies. Just hours before his death, a Spanish court ruled that he could be extradited to the US to stand trial. Ng Han Guan / AP / ShutterstockCybersecurity industry reflects on McAfee’s legacyJohn McAfee is considered a forefather of the cybersecurity industry, founding one of the first antivirus vendors on the market, McAfee Associates, in 1987. Since then, the company has remained one of the leading cybersecurity vendors in the sector. However, he parted ways with the organization in 1994 and has not been associated with it since. He regularly spoke of his distaste for the organization that still bears his name and went on to live a highly controversial lifestyle surrounded by allegations of immoral and illegal behavior. Several figures within the cybersecurity sector have spoken with CSO in reaction to McAfee’s passing and reflected on his legacy both in, and out, of the IT security industry. “He was a divisive character seemingly able to spark both admiration from some and distaste in others,” says information security leader Quentyn Taylor. “Whilst he was one of the pioneers of the industry, the path he then walked up to the present day was mired in controversy as well as legal and regulatory drama. Someone who will be remembered for a long time in the infosec industry, but not necessarily for what he may have wished for.”“I met John only briefly, but he was very charming and nice to me,” says Javvad Malik, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4. “He was definitely a polarizing figure in the industry, but he was a pioneer and will leave a void.” John McAfee was certainly a controversial character within the cybersecurity industry, adds Brian Honan, founder of BH Consulting. “He and his company helped secure millions of computers worldwide. However, his personal life had many serious controversies ranging from accusations of murder, rape, tax evasion, and drug use. So, while we remember the passing of one of the initial leaders in our industry, let’s not forget the potential victims and their families that remain and for whom the coming days will be difficult.”“He was certainly able to see some lucrative tech opportunities ahead of the curve,” says cybersecurity consultant, speaker, and author Raef Meeuwisse. “He seemed very eccentric and flawed. I suspect he may be remembered for his flaws rather than for his achievements.” Related content news Citrix quietly fixes a new critical vulnerability similar to Citrix Bleed Much similar to Citrix-Bleed, the information disclosure bug was identified within NetScaler devices configured as gateway or virtual servers. By Shweta Sharma May 07, 2024 3 mins Vulnerabilities feature What is IAM? Identity and access management explained IAM is a set of processes, policies, and tools for controlling user access to critical information within an organization. By David Strom May 07, 2024 12 mins Identity Management Solutions IT Leadership Security news Most interesting products to see at RSAC 2024 Tools, platforms, and services that the CSO team recommends 2024 RSA Conference attendees check out. By CSO Staff May 07, 2024 12 mins RSA Conference Security news Google launches Google Threat Intelligence at RSA Conference The new addition to Google Cloud Security is designed to inform security teams on approaches to protecting against external threats, managing attack surfaces, and mitigating digital risks. By Sascha Brodsky May 06, 2024 4 mins RSA Conference Cloud Security Security Software PODCASTS VIDEOS RESOURCES EVENTS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe