Revenue at McAfee jumped by 21 per cent to $448m (£300.3m) as the software firm reported a record quarterly high despite the recession.

The firm had reported $369.6m (£247.7m) in revenue the same period last year.

Profits for the first quarter also rose in comparison to the same period a year ago, reaching $51.8m (£34.7m), up from $30.2m (£20.2m).

"This financial stability is the platform on which McAfee is building industry leadership,” said the firm’s said president and chief executive Dave DeWalt.

“Customers from the consumer to the largest enterprise see the value in our unique and comprehensive security solutions, which provide improved protection, increased manageability and better return on their security investments," said DeWalt.

The company expects to maintain the positive performance in the second quarter, with forecast revenue reaching $455m (£304.9m) to $475m (£318.4m).