ESET, AV-Comparatives and AV-TEST: In the past we have referred to the games of the big security companies. The last time we mentioned something was in the post Windows 10: the best antivirus for home users.
So there we mentioned the following dilemma:
Let us mention that since we are talking about private companies (we mean testing companies), and the ultimate goal of every company is financial profits, it would be good to see the Results who serve us, with critical thinking. From the following lists, for example, the ESET software of a very reliable company is conspicuous by its absence. Why is such an important piece of software missing?
So today we received a press release from ESET, which states that the company's software was awarded a gold and bronze award at the "Summary Report 2019" of AV-Comparatives.
The press release states:
"The accredited, independent testing organization AV Comparatives uses one of the largest sample collections in the world to create a reality-like environment to achieve exceptional test accuracy. In the "Summary Report 2019" report, the organization comments on antivirus solutions for consumers who participated in the tests during the year, highlighting those that received high marks in the various tests performed during the 12 months.
The report examined consumer solutions for Windows from 16 different manufacturers, with outstanding results for ESET, which received awards in three categories: "Overall Performance (Low System Impact)», «Enhanced Real-World Test (Advanced Threat Protection)» και «false Positive Test'.
"Overall Performance (Low System Impact)"
ESET won a gold award in the "Low System Impact" category, which evaluates the impact of each product on system speed and performance. ESET consistently performed exceptionally well in this category, and its improvement elevated it from the silver award it won in 2018, to gold.
"Enhanced Real-World Test (Advanced Threat Protection)"
ESET won the Gold Award in the "Advanced Threat Protection" category, which is a new category for the years 2019 and 2020. These tests test the program's ability to protect against advanced targeted and fileless attacks. ESET was one of only two manufacturers to block all 15 targeted attacks during the testing process.
False Positive Test
ESET won a bronze medal in the "False Positive Test" category. According to the report, false positives can cause the same problem as actual infection, and avoiding them is a critical element of any antivirus solution. AV-Comparatives conducted extensive false-positive tests as part of the "Malware Protection" and "Real-World Protection" tests.
Commenting on the results, Director of ESET's Threat Detection Labs, Jiří Kropáč, said: “ESET's recognition by AV-Comparatives demonstrates our commitment to our customers and our promise to always provide the best IT security solutions. It is extremely important to us to ensure that users are protected with cutting-edge technology against the latest threats. We are honored to receive these awards and be recognized as an important company helping to create a safer technology for all".
More information in the report Summary Report 2019 of AV-Comparatives.
Really why ESET does not participate in the AV-TEST tests and prefers AV-Comparatives? Is there something behind the choice of the company? And if it is not hidden, why not have the brand name "ESET" in the AV-TEST lists?
Because really this company does not seem to exist at all, while the AV-Comparatives lists are all companies…
Will someone solve our mystery or let us do paranoia? Normally and when we talk about security, any suspicion should be answered immediately. Let's wait and see.
