McAfee’s board of directors on Monday named former EMC executive Dave DeWalt as the security software company’s chief executive officer and president.DeWalt, 42, takes the helm of a company tainted by allegations surrounding backdating of stock options by former executives.DeWalt, a 20-year veteran of the technology industry, most recently was executive vice president and president of customer operations for EMC.Dale Fuller, McAfee’s interim president and CEO, will leave that job April 1, the day before DeWalt takes over. Fuller will stay as an adviser to help with the transition and will remain on the board. DeWalt is also expected to be appointed to the board. Fuller stepped in as interim chief in October 2006 following the resignations of George Samenuk as chairman and CEO and of Kevin Weiss as president. They left following allegations that they were involved in improperly backdating stock options to McAfee executives.DeWalt told IDG News Service that he is prepared to take over the company, even as it operates under a legal cloud. “It definitely is an issue for me to deal with,” he said. “I don’t condone what happened, but it is behind us.”A federal indictment alleges improper backdating of stock option grants by McAfee executives in 2000 and 2002.Last week, former McAfee legal counsel Kent Roberts was arraigned on federal fraud charges in relation to his role in the backdating scandal. He pleaded not guilty before a federal judge in San Francisco. -Robert Mullins, IDG News Service Related content feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure brandpost Proactive OT security requires visibility + prevention You cannot protect your operation by simply watching and waiting. It is essential to have a defense-in-depth approach. By Austen Byers Sep 21, 2023 4 mins Security 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