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Security migration
From
McAfee / Trellix
→
To
CrowdStrike Falcon

McAfee to CrowdStrike migration — UK endpoint security refresh

McAfee (now Trellix) is a legacy signature-based AV at heart — increasingly outclassed by modern EDR platforms across detection, response and operational simplicity. CrowdStrike Falcon is the most-evaluated destination — cloud-native, single lightweight agent, best-in-class MITRE ATT&CK coverage, optional Falcon Complete for 24×7 MDR. Servnet runs end-to-end McAfee → CrowdStrike migrations including co-existence wave, mass rollout and McAfee uninstall.

Vendor migration programme — McAfee / Trellix source on the left, CrowdStrike Falcon target on the right, with parallel-running data streams converging through a central Servnet cutover hub.
From → To: McAfee / Trellix vs CrowdStrike Falcon
CURRENTMcAfee / TrellixProduction workloadsLegacy management planeRenewal due / EoSServnetparallel-running migrationTARGETCrowdStrike FalconProduction workloadsModern management planeStrategic 5-yr position
Typical outcomes

What good looks like after a McAfee / Trellix → CrowdStrike Falcon migration

Detection uplift
×4-6

Typical detection-coverage uplift on MITRE ATT&CK evaluations vs signature-based AV.

Migration window
6-10 wk

End-to-end for a 500-5,000 endpoint estate.

Endpoint footprint
−80%

CrowdStrike agent ~40MB RAM vs McAfee ENS + add-ons ~200MB+.

Infrastructure removed
3-5 VMs

ePolicy Orchestrator + SQL backend + content distribution VMs all decommissioned.

The why

Why UK organisations migrate from McAfee / Trellix to CrowdStrike Falcon

  • ✓Move from signature-based AV to behavioural EDR — catches modern threats AV misses
  • ✓Best-in-class MITRE ATT&CK coverage (consistently top-ranked in evaluations)
  • ✓Single cloud-native agent vs McAfee's on-prem ePolicy Orchestrator + multiple modules
  • ✓Optional Falcon Complete for 24×7 MDR — replaces internal SOC headcount need
  • ✓Frees up significant infrastructure (ePolicy Orchestrator servers, SQL backend)
  • ✓Cyber-insurance + Cyber Essentials Plus alignment — modern EDR meets renewal requirements
How we run it

Migration phasing — typical McAfee / Trellix → CrowdStrike Falcon programme

McAfee / Trellix → CrowdStrike Falcon — programme timeline
W0W2W4W6W8W10Discovery + sizing1wCrowdStrike tenant setup1wPilot ring (5% of estate)2wCo-existence mass rollout3wMcAfee uninstall + decommission3wTotal programme: 10 weeks · parallel running throughout
  1. 1

    Discovery + sizing

    Week 1

    Endpoint estate fingerprint; CrowdStrike licensing sizing (Pro, Enterprise, Elite); Falcon Complete (MDR) sizing if applicable; AD / Entra ID / SIEM integration design.

  2. 2

    CrowdStrike tenant setup

    Week 2

    Falcon tenant configured; policies (Pro, Enterprise, IT Hygiene, Spotlight) configured; sensor packages staged; AD / Entra ID + SIEM + ITSM integration.

  3. 3

    Pilot ring (5% of estate)

    Weeks 3-4

    Pilot endpoints get CrowdStrike co-existing with McAfee; performance + functional validation; helpdesk training; communications package finalised.

  4. 4

    Co-existence mass rollout

    Weeks 5-7

    Phased rollout (typically 20-25% of estate per week) with both agents running; helpdesk monitors tickets per wave; rollback option preserved if any issue.

  5. 5

    McAfee uninstall + decommission

    Weeks 8-10

    McAfee removed per-wave; ePolicy Orchestrator + SQL backend + content distribution decommissioned; Falcon operational handover.

Included in scope

What Servnet delivers in a McAfee / Trellix → CrowdStrike Falcon migration

CrowdStrike tenant + sensor packaging

Pre-staged sensors via Intune / SCCM / Group Policy / Jamf — single-click deploy.

AD / Entra ID + SIEM integration

Role-based access, MFA-enforced admin, real-time alert forwarding into your SIEM (Sentinel, Splunk, etc.).

Co-existence wave plan

Detailed rollout wave plan with helpdesk impact mitigation, rollback triggers, daily review.

Policy templates per workload class

Workstation, Server, Tier-0 (Domain Controllers, vCenter), Mac, Linux — tuned policies per class.

McAfee removal tooling

Validated McAfee removal scripts deployed via your endpoint management tool; manual remediation for edge cases.

Post-migration support

90-day hypercare; optional ongoing managed CrowdStrike service or Falcon Complete handover.

De-risking the cutover

Top risks + how we mitigate them

⚠️ Two agents running concurrently degrade endpoint performance
CrowdStrike + McAfee co-existence is well-documented and resource-light. We monitor pilot ring for any performance regression and exclude shared paths (e.g. swap file, hypervisor specific files) where needed.
⚠️ Helpdesk overwhelmed during rollout
Wave size scaled to helpdesk capacity (typically 200-500 endpoints per day); detailed runbooks; daily reviews of ticket volume; ability to pause rollout at any wave boundary.
⚠️ McAfee uninstall fails on some endpoints
Validated McAfee removal scripts handle 95%+ of endpoints cleanly; edge cases get manual remediation. We track McAfee residual presence per endpoint until 100% clean.
⚠️ CISO needs immediate proof of value
CrowdStrike's Spotlight (vulnerability discovery), IT Hygiene (rogue device discovery), and threat hunting deliver visible value in week 1 — useful for the executive narrative before full rollout completes.
Pricing guide rail

Indicative: McAfee → CrowdStrike migrations for a 500-5,000 endpoint estate typically run £12k-£35k professional services (excluding CrowdStrike licensing). CrowdStrike licensing typically £60-£110 per endpoint per year depending on tier. Total programme often cost-neutral or favourable vs McAfee renewal when ePolicy Orchestrator infrastructure decommission savings are factored in. Talk to us for a sized commercial proposal.

Frequently asked

FAQs — McAfee / Trellix → CrowdStrike Falcon

Should we go CrowdStrike or SentinelOne?

Both are excellent. CrowdStrike Falcon Complete is best-in-class for full MDR; SentinelOne Singularity is best for autonomous response (kill / quarantine without human intervention) and is often more cost-competitive. Our EDR choice framework covers the trade-offs.

What about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?

If you're already on M365 E5, Defender for Endpoint is included — meaningful cost saving. The capability is competitive with CrowdStrike + SentinelOne for most enterprises. See our Defender migration page for the broader Microsoft posture.

Can we get McAfee + CrowdStrike co-existence working cleanly?

Yes — well-documented co-existence with appropriate exclusions. We've done this migration many times; the pilot ring catches any issues before the mass rollout.

What about Macs and Linux?

CrowdStrike has the strongest cross-platform agent in the market — feature parity across Windows, Mac, Linux. Most McAfee Mac / Linux deployments migrate cleanly in the same wave plan.

Go deeper

Ready to scope your McAfee / Trellix → CrowdStrike Falcon migration?

30-minute discovery call with an engineer who's run this migration before. Honest scoping, no sales script.

Book a scoping call →