Intel acquires McAfee for $7.68 billion

Well, we got our copy of McAfee Antivirus for $29, but it looks like Intel had something a little more substantial in mind. The latter has picked up the Santa Clara-based security / antivirus company for a cool $7.68 billion, which works out to $48 per share in cash. Intel informs us that it will function as a wholly owned subsidiary (under the control of its Software and Services group). This comes hot on the heels of the company’s acquisition of TI’s cable modem unit, and possibly signals a new focus on security for connected devices. “The cyber threat landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years, with millions of new threats appearing every month,” said McAfee CEO Dave DeWalt.”We believe this acquisition will result in our ability to deliver a safer, more secure and trusted Internet-enabled device experience.” This has added a wonderful new phrase to the Engadget lexicon (and possibly even a name for our new garage band): Cyber Threat Landscape. PR after the break.