More than 40 security software vendors and anti-malware testers have joined forces to battle the ever-growing threat of online crime.
The Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organisation (AMTSO) met in Spain on Monday to formalise a charter to benchmark the effectiveness of various software products.
"The formation of AMTSO has been driven by industry-wide concern about the increasing mismatch between what anti-malware technologies actually do, and the testing methodologies used to evaluate them," says the organisation.
The dynamic around malware creation has changed significantly, says Jeremy Matthews, CEO of Panda Security (SA). "Yet, the testing methods have stagnated and industry felt this needed to be addressed."
The collaborative effort is crucial to the industry, he states. "Online criminal threats are becoming more significant. The more of the physical world that moves to the virtual, the larger the threat will be."
According to Matthews, the traditional approach to testing was based on known samples. "This does not give a true or accurate reflection of how reliable a product is or isn't." Creating a uniform testing methodology improves the credibility of the software being produced by vendors, he explains.
The respective development and technical teams of each of the vendors will form the representation within the organisation, he says. "I can't comment on whether there will be local representation for each country, at this time." Most of the vendors within the organisation have some presence in SA."
Barrier of protection
The organisation will also improve the credibility of threat warnings, says Brett Myroff, CEO of Sophos distributor Netxactics. "By sharing information, the vendors in the organisation not only standardise testing methods, but create a basis for stronger defence mechanisms."
Users will start to see quicker response times by vendors when dealing with new and evolved threats, he says. "A vendor who first detects a threat will create the patch and share information with the organisation."
Malware will be better understood and tackled from a united front, explains Myroff. "The naming conventions of viruses will be standardised, which will help users to identify real threats. Vendors will now be playing on an equal level."
AMTSO will create a stronger protection barrier as vendors unite, compared with segregated vendors each doing their own thing, he says. "With the heavy-hitters all participating in AMTSO, the security industry is bound to strengthen."
Vendors who are participating in AMTSO are: ALWIL Software, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test.org, AVG Technologies, Avira, Bit9, BitDefender, Dr Web, ESET, F-Secure, G DATA Software, Hispasec Sistemas, International Business Machines, Kaspersky Lab, McAfee, Microsoft, Norman ASA, Panda Security, PC Tools, Sana Security, Secure Computing, Sophos, Symantec, Trend Micro and Virusbuster.
The organisation has listed the charter documents, membership and educational materials on its Web site.
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