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 Repeated cyberattacks on court systems raise security concerns for the US Court systems form crucial national infrastructure and therefore a nation-state angle cannot be completely ruled out in the recent surge in attacks. By Shweta Sharma May 29, 2024 9 mins Ransomware Cyberattacks opinion Cybersecurity at a crossroads: Time to shift to an architectural approach The need for greater scale, intelligence, and automation is driving massive change in security operations and the SIEM market. By Jon Oltsik May 29, 2024 8 mins Security Operations Center Security Practices Security Software news US healthcare agency to invest $50M in threat detection tools that predict attackers’ next moves The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health is seeking proposals that go beyond detecting and analyzing healthcare attacks to trying to determine what attackers will try next. By Evan Schuman May 28, 2024 5 mins Government IT Healthcare Industry Threat and Vulnerability Management news Data leak exposes personal data of Indian military and police Data included facial scans, fingerprints, identifying marks such as tattoos or scars, and documents such as birth certificates and employment records. By Prasanth Aby Thomas May 28, 2024 4 mins Data Breach 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